A Guiding Flame
by TheEgoRaptor
Summary: The end of the War saw Naruto thrust into the Bending World. Can he help the Avatar bring Balance to the world? Read to find out. NarutoXKorra (Bender-Naruto)
1. Chapter 1

**Hello once again to my readers, Old and New. This is something I've been wanting to start writing for a few months now but I was putting it off until the finale of Book 4, now I have no excuse not to begin.**

**For those holding out for the second chapter of Shield of Humanity, don't fret as it's very near completion and will be posted up soon. **

**With this first chapter I mainly just want to gauge everyone's reaction. Do you like it? Hate it? Let me know, I'm very open to what my readers would like to see in my stories. So if there's anything you would like to see done or changed in this story, let me know in a review. **

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><p>It had been many decades since Iroh, the famed Dragon of the West, had set foot in the material world. His physical body had long since died and he had chosen to live on in the Spirit World, becoming somewhat akin to a Spirit himself. The Spirit World had become his home and the Spirits that inhabited its strange lands his friends.<p>

Throughout the time he had spent in the Spirit World Iroh had seen many a strange occurrence though he had become accustomed to it, the strange happenings around him had long since stopped surprising him, now only brining a sense of wonder and awe.

He was not prepared however to return to his small tea house to find a young man face down in the grass next to his large tea-table, his clothes a tattered mess and a small pool of blood forming underneath him. Even in his extremely confused state, Iroh still had the awareness to know that the boy needed his help.

Upon cursory inspection Iroh noticed almost immediately that the young man was in-fact a flesh and blood human, meaning that he would've had to of entered the Spirit World physically. The only way Iroh knew of to accomplish this was via either of the two Spirit Portals on the South or North Pole but the wizened old man knew that both portals had been closed for aeons.

Iroh quickly dismissed the thoughts, the universe was a truly amazing and unknowable place, it was not for him to say what was possible or impossible. The old Firebender hefted the young man into his arms, taking note of his unusual bright blonde hair and strange facial markings, and hurried inside.

After over an hour of checking the boy over for injuries Iroh found nothing singularly life threatening but the multitude of smaller injuries would have spelled the end for him had the Old Man not found him when he did.

When he was tending to the boy he found something odd. There was some form of spiritual presence within the boy himself and if Iroh had to guess, it was straining to be released from whatever bonds held it.

The boy's Chi was also extremely chaotic, almost as if it possessed a mind of its own. It was churning and writhing within his body though Iroh's trained senses could feel the utter calmness yet potential for uncontrollable, elemental force within his Chi. It seemed whoever the boy was, he was a Bender.

Iroh brewed a fresh pot of tea, grabbing a cup for himself as he sat by the young man's bedside, his body now almost completely covered in bandages. Iroh decided to spend the time waiting for the boy to wake up by continuing to monitor the boy's Chi.

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><p>It would be three long weeks before Iroh's silent vigil proved fruitful.<p>

It was at the beginning or the second week of the boy's slumber that Iroh first noticed the Fox Spirit perched atop the young man's chest. At first Iroh wasn't quite sure how the Spirit had managed to get there without him noticing. He knew it was a Spirit because of its unusually strange appearance.

It sported nine bushy tails where a normal fox would only have one. The shape of its front appendages was more akin to that of a man than a beast. It had extremely long ears for its small size and its face sported distinct black markings. Iroh knew that the longest he had left the boy's side was only a few minutes at most but there the Spirit sat, content with staring straight into the old man's eyes.

It was a few hours after the Fox's first appearance that Iroh noticed something different about the boy.

The spiritual presence that had been within him was now gone and Iroh could only assume that the Fox that was now acting as a silent guardian had once resided within the boy though for what purpose he could not determine.

The end of the second week brought much desired knowledge for Iroh. The Fox began to speak.

"Who are you?" it questioned him, the sudden sound of its incredibly deep voice making him jump somewhat. Iroh recovered quickly, offering a small bow of respect towards the Fox Spirit.

"My name is Iroh," he replied with a warm smile adorning his face. "And I would very much like to know yours Great Spirit." The Fox had smiled at that, showing its large canines.

"I think I'm going to like you," it said, "But I don't think you've earned the right to know my name." it explained with no small amount of haughtiness though Iroh had spent enough of his life dealing with Zuko to realise the falseness of the Fox's tone.

"Of course, you name is you own to keep." he replied graciously and the Fox gave a small nod of thanks. The room descended into silence for only a few moments before the Spirit spoke again.

"Where are we?" it asked and Iroh knew immediately that it was referring to itself and the boy it sat atop. Iroh gave a small laugh before answering.

"You, my friend, are guests in my humble tea shop here in the Spirit World." The Fox Spirit's eyes widened somewhat at the statement and for the first time in days it moved from its perch on the young man, moving towards the nearest window.

It propped itself up on the windowsill and craned its neck to look outside.

"So this is the Spirit World," Iroh heard it say though only barely. "The Old Man always used to talk about this place." it said, a sense of maintained wonder in its voice.

"If you don't mind me asking." began Iroh, "Who is the boy?" he asked politely. The Fox Spirit quickly returned to its former seat.

"His name is much the same as mine. It is his to give and not mine." it said stubbornly. Iroh could only give another small nod of acceptance. The Spirit met his eyes with a serious look on its surprisingly human like face.

"I take it from the nearly three weeks of peace and quiet as well as your lack of cautions that we were alone in our coming here?" It asked, piquing Iroh's interest.

"Yes," he replied, "I found only the boy when I was returning home." he explained curtly.

"I see…." the Fox Spirit said. "I suggest you give the area around your home a thorough inspection for any other signs of life or disturbance." Iroh frowned somewhat at the strange suggestion.

"Are you expecting me to find someone?" he asked and the Fox shook its head slowly.

"Quite the opposite in fact, I'm praying you find nothing." it said solemnly.

Iroh had done as he was asked, finding nothing until he searched the immediate area where he had found the boy. Underneath his tea-table he was greeted with a grisly sight.

A strangely off-colour right arm, flakes of long dried blood had crusted underneath the appendage though the limb itself showed no signs of decay. He bundled the limb in a cloth and presented it to the Fox Spirit.

"I found only this, right next to where I found the boy." he announced as he carefully placed the package at the Spirit's feet. The Fox extended one of its hands and un-wrapped the arm, its eyes widening slightly before its face returned to a neutral expression of calmness.

"This is good," it said, "But I think I'll be keeping this safe." It said, grabbing the appendage with one incredibly dexterous tail and seeming to force the limb into its own body.

The arm soon disappeared 'within' the Spirit and it seemed to grow to at least twice its original size, now standing as tall as one of the other Fox Spirit's Iroh had seen within Wan Shi Tan's library.

Iroh had not questioned the strange sight as it seemed a fairly personal matter for the Spirit. The next few days were spent in quiet conversation with the Spirit, its mood somewhat more amicable after Iroh had offered it a cup of tea from his prized teapot.

Their conversations had turned more to the informational side of things as the Spirit began to ask more and more questions about Iroh himself and what the Fox called the "new Physical World".

What the Spirit meant by 'new' eluded Iroh but he let such thoughts leave him; it was none of his concern.

The boy's health however was.

"What is wrong with the boy's Chi?" he asked the Spirit, causing it to raise an eyebrow slightly.

"Where we came from, the boy didn't have Chi as you know it. He possessed a different type of energy within him. Our arrival here upset that delicate energy system and I was forced to convert his remaining energy into the Chi you know otherwise he would have been poisoned from the inside out." explained the Fox.

Iroh could only nod his head slowly. Who was he to question the Spirit; it clearly knew what it was doing whilst he had no knowledge of the subject.

"What will happen to him once the imbalance is corrected?" he wondered aloud, the Fox was quick to respond.

"I'm not exactly sure, but if I had to guess I assume he will become what you would call a Bender and have mastery over his element."

"What element would that be?" Iroh asked and the Spirit gave a small shrug in response.

"Air more than likely, he did have an affinity towards that element before." said the Fox, causing a smile to form on Iroh's face.

"Another Airbender, that is marvellous. Perhaps he can help correct the imbalance in the world. With so few Airbenders alive today, they would welcome him happily." That drew a raised brow from the Fox.

"What happened to the Airbenders? The last time I was here with the Old Man there were hundreds of them living in their ridiculously placed Temples." it asked. Iroh's mood turned sombre almost immediately.

"War." he said, leaving it at that. It appeared that one simple word was all the explanation the Spirit needed, it too hung its head slightly in what Iroh could only assume was a small sign of mourning.

"I know the terrors of war well enough Iroh, it is a shame to know that the most peaceful of your world's inhabitants were the ones to face annihilation. It is gladdening to know at least a few survived." said the Fox, pausing for only a moment before continuing.

"Anyways, I fear I have expended too much of my energy by altering my companions energy network, that and keeping my vigil. You seem trustworthy enough Iroh, I will sleep for now. Wake me when he does." it said, gesturing to the boy beside him. Iroh nodded, a small smile upon his lips.

"I thank you for your trust Spirit; his needs1 will be met in your absence I assure you." he said. The Fox nodded softly before lying down and resting its head in its hands. Only moment had passed before the Spirit was already well and truly asleep.

Not knowing how long he may have to wait, Iroh did the only thing he could to centre himself for whatever conversation would arise when the boy woke up, he went to make another pot of tea.

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><p>Naruto hadn't felt this tired in a long time. Not since his rigorous all day training sessions with Jiraiya had he felt quite as sore as he did now. Despite the physical ache he could feel, there was also a strange feeling of weightlessness accompanying it.<p>

His eyelids felt extremely heavy, so much so that it was a great effort to even be able to squint. All he was greeted with for his effort was the sight of a generic wooden roof. He tried to move his arms but they refused to respond. Even his toes were adamant in their static behaviour.

His memory was hazy. The last thing he could remember was the mere moments after he and Sasuke had sealed Kaguya. When the sealing process had been completed, out of nowhere, Madara Uchiha had made one final appearance after Kaguya's possession of his body had ended.

Sasuke had been too weak at the moment of his reappearance to be of any help, so Naruto took it upon himself to take the initiative and attack first.

With a golden Rasengan swirling angrily in his palm he had dashed towards the man that had taken so much from the Alliance.

It had been un-necessary however. When Naruto had been only metres from striking Madara, Old Man Hagoromo warped into existence between the child of destiny and the curse of hatred personified.

The Sage had lifted both arms, with one palm facing Madara and the other facing Naruto. He had seen the Sage mutter something and it was only now that Naruto had time to sift through his most recent memories that he realised it had been a single word.

"Sorry."

And then his world had exploded with light. For the life of him, Naruto couldn't figure out what the Old Man had to be sorry for, he'd done nothing but help Naruto.

Naruto soon returned to trying to move at least some small part of his body, it was then that he noticed something was wrong, _VERY_ wrong.

Since Naruto had 'broken' the seal binding him to Kurama the Biju's familiar presence had been very noticeable, his energy never truly leaving Naruto. Even when Madara successfully extracted the half of Kurama that resided within Naruto, there were still small traces of the Biju's power within him.

Naruto began to panic as he now felt absolutely nothing. The realisation brought with it more than a few terrifying thoughts. Foremost of these was the possibility that he was dead; his alarmed mind quickly saw the sense in the thought.

He was brought out of his motionless panic attack by the sound of something shattering against a hard floor. Through sheer force of will he managed to open his eyes enough to see a rather portly old man who had dropped what appeared to be the remnants of a tea cup onto a wooden floor.

At first Naruto didn't notice anything immediately strange with the scene, until he noticed he was looking down on the man from a decent height.

He managed to move his head to the side slightly and his eyes widened for a moment when he noticed he was laying horizontal well over two metres in the air.

The sudden realisation of his strange position caused whatever force that was suspending him in the air to vanish completely, causing his body to flail about comically and crash onto a thing mattress below him.

The sudden jolt of activity seemed to kick start Naruto's body, he now found it relatively easy to move himself into a seated position. He gazed at the old man who was only just now moving himself to sit on a small cushion by the bed.

"Uh, hey." Said Naruto as he scratched the back of his head slightly, a look of pure embarrassment on his face. His easy-going attitude seemed to put the old man somewhat at ease.

"I must say, I've been around for a long time, I've travelled the far reaches of both worlds and I have never seen anything quite like that young man." said the old man between chuckles. Naruto blushed under the praise.

"Uh, thanks, I think. I'm not really sure how I did that. I've never woken up in the air before to tell you the truth." he said.

"It must be your Bending. While you were sleeping you must have subconsciously used Airbending though I've only ever heard legends of an ancient Airbending Guru who could, well, fly." answered the old man.

Naruto could only give the man a deadpanned expression.

"Uh, I understood some of the words you just said but the rest of it made no sense. What's Airbending?" he asked innocently. Naruto nearly jumped in fright as the old man began laughing loudly.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry young man; I forgot you don't know anything about Bending. I suppose we'd better wake up your friend, I think it best that he explain this to you." replied the old man. Naruto stared at him in puzzlement for a moment.

"What friend?" he finally asked aloud. The old man smiled and gestured towards the strikingly familiar shape of a Nine Tailed Fox sleeping soundly in the corner of the room.

"Kurama!" he called out loudly causing the Fox to jump awake suddenly. When Kurama realised what was happening he gave a low growl.

"Dammit brat. Why'd you have to go and yell my name out like that?" Naruto stared clueless at his old friend for a short moment before realising what he meant. He glanced back at the old man who was still sitting on his small cushion, a wide smile now marking his worn face.

"What? Were you trying to do the whole mysterious monster act? _You cannot know my name mortal!_" laughed out Naruto, his voice taking on his best impression of Kurama towards the end. The Fox growled once again which only caused Naruto to laugh even harder.

"Now listen here you little brat!" started Kurama though he didn't have a chance to say any more because Naruto's laughter reached its peak.

"What's so funny?" yelled Kurama.

"Y-you're calling me 'little'," started Naruto, his laughter interrupting him mid-sentence. "Take a look at yourself Kurama, you're smaller than Akamaru now." he finished, earning yet another growl from his lifelong friend.

"Fine," said Kurama as he turned his back on Naruto. "I guess you don't want to know about Bending then or where we are for that matter." his last statement caused Naruto's laughter to abate rather quickly.

"Fine, fine. I'm sorry alright. I really want to know what this Bending stuff is, it sounds really cool." said Naruto trying to placate Kurama as quickly as possible.

Iroh could only laugh at the relationship displayed between the two. A young man and an incredibly powerful Spirit made a strange duo. Kurama huffed slightly in annoyance before beginning his explanation.

"There are four types of Bending, one for each of the primary elements. Firebending is the pyrokinetic ability to control fire. Waterbending is the hydrokinetic ability to control water in all of its forms and I think you can see where I'm going with this." said Kurama, giving Naruto time to think over his words.

"Bending differs from Ninjutsu in the sense that it does not require specific handsigns. Also, a Bender can only bend one element that is genetically unique to them." Naruto sported a slightly puzzled look on his face.

"That's cool and all but what does it have to do with me? How can I Airbend?" he asked.

"Before we arrived here you chakra nature was Wind. Chakra does not exist in the form you know it here; I had to forcibly convert your chakra into Chi, the energy used here to bend. It was only natural that your Wind natured chakra would become Air natured Chi, thus making you an Airbender." explained Kurama. His explanation only served to leave Naruto with more questions.

"What do you mean by 'here'? Where are we?" Kurama only sighed.

"No longer in the Ninja World. It seems the Old Man saw fight to send us here, to the Spirit World." Kurama easily saw Naruto's irrational side beginning to emerge and quickly headed it off.

"No we're not dead brat. The Spirit World is named for the beings that inhabit it, Spirits. I can't begin to explain why the Old Man sent us here but it would not have been without reason." he said, calming Naruto visibly, his mood quickly turning sour.

"There's no way to get home is there?" he said somewhat dejectedly. Kurama shook his head sadly.

"No. Only my father knew how to get here from the Ninja World, there is no way for us to get back now." he said softly. Iroh truly felt for the boy.

To be taken from the only world he had ever known only to be thrust into another was not something Iroh believed he would like to experience. He felt it was his place to try and cheer the boy up somewhat.

"Not all is lost my boy. You may be in the Spirit World now but the Spirit World itself is connected to a world much like your own I imagine. You could make a life there, free from any worries of your past." he said, drawing Naruto's attention. The blonde in question managed a small smile.

"I guess you're right." he said. Iroh could easily see the boy trying his hardest to bury any negative emotions within himself before his mood brightened visibly.

"We never really had a proper introduction did we old man?" he laughed before extending a closed fist in Iroh's direction.

"Naruto Uzumaki," he exclaimed loudly. "Pleased to meet you." An ear-to-ear grin split his features and Iroh guessed the meaning of his gesture rather quickly. He bumped his own fist against Naruto's softly.

"Iroh my boy and the pleasure is all mine I assure you. It's not every day I get to meet someone as interesting as yourself." said Iroh, a small smile adorning his features. Iroh was astounded at how quickly the boy was able to bounce back from such a daunting scenario.

His sadness had quickly turned into excitement.

"Are you a Bender too? Oh, maybe you could teach me some wicked new moves, I'm going to have to get a hang of this Airbending stuff sooner or later." he said rather quickly causing Iroh to chuckle lightly.

"I'm afraid that there isn't much I could teach you about Airbending Naruto, you see I was a Firebender before I decided to stay in the Spirit World. I would only be able to teach you the basics of the Airbending form, things I picked up from my time with Avatar Aang." he replied. Naruto seemed immediately hooked on his words.

"Who's that, he sounds pretty cool. Maybe he could teach me?" asked Naruto. Iroh shook his head slightly.

"I'm afraid Aang's time in the Material World came to an almost twenty years ago. A new Avatar has taken his place." he said.

"What's the Avatar?" was Naruto's next question.

For the next few hours, Iroh was in deep conversation with Naruto, trying to explain to him the concept of the Avatar Cycle. It seemed the boy was smarter than he looked, soaking up the information with glee.

Their conversation eventually led to the topic of the White Lotus and how it was their duty to guide as well as protect the Avatar, helping them to bring balance to the World. It wasn't long before Naruto expressed his interest.

"I've decided Kurama, we're joining the White Lotus, it sounds awesome, plus their goals are kind of like mine, world peace." he announced, causing Kurama to snort softly.

"Fine, it will give us something to do at least, but we aren't doing anything for a while." he said.

"Why?" complained Naruto. Kurama only rolled his eyes.

"Because we are staying here for a while." he said. His statement caused Iroh to raise a brow slightly; he couldn't understand why the Spirit would insist on staying in the Spirit World. Naruto groaned in response.

"How long?" he asked petulantly. Kurama's answer was simple and to the point.

"For as long as it takes from Iroh to teach you the basics of Firebending."

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><p>The next morning saw Iroh and his guests outside his humble house. Naruto was pacing back and forth, deep in thought and Kurama was sitting lazily on his haunches in front of the boy. Iroh had to admit he was shocked to say the least when he heard the Spirit's plan the night before.<p>

"Let me get this straight," said Naruto, the sound of his inquisitive voice bringing Iroh out of his own personal machinations. "You want to _Fuse _with me, not hop inside me again like always?" he questioned. Kurama sighed in slight annoyance.

"I've already explained this Naruto. When we arrived here I had to change your Chakra into Chi because if I didn't it would have slowly killed you. I was made of pure Chakra, what do you think would have happened to me? I had to convert my own energy into Chi as well which has pretty much made me a Spirit now, albeit a very powerful one. I always did have an affinity towards Fire, it seems I kept it when I became a Spirit." explained Kurama.

"I can't just 'hop' back inside you because the seal holding me there has been completely dissolved, I would have no anchor in your body." he continued. Iroh felt it only right for him to interrupt.

"I take it that you know what will happen once you fuse with Naruto's own spirit Kurama?" he interjected. Naruto seemed confused by his statement.

"Oi, Kurama, what does he mean by that?" he asked his friend.

"He means you will become like the Avatar, though you will only gain the ability to bend the element of fire, not all four elements. Also you will, ah, technically become immortal." said Kurama, his voice trailing off slightly towards the end. Despite his voice quieting, Naruto still heard Kurama loud and clear.

"IMMORTAL! What's that supposed to mean, I don't want to live forever." he yelled out.

"Naruto my boy, what Kurama means is that your spirit will be re-incarnated after your death much like the Avatar. Your spirit would be able to act as a guide for your next life." explained Iroh, hoping to put Naruto at ease. It appeared to work though he still seemed sceptical.

"So kind of like Old Man Hagoromo's kids, Ashura and Indra?" he asked as he turned his attention back to Kurama. The Fox shrugged slightly.

"Kind of, but you'll be able to actually speak with your re-incarnation, and me as well even after you die." he said nonchalantly.

Iroh didn't know who Ashura and Indra were but he supposed that it was knowledge best kept to his quests, information about the world they had come from served him no purpose despite how interested he may be.

Naruto seemed to consider for a moment, but no longer than that.

"Alright Kurama, I trust you. How do we do this?" he asked. Kurama finally stood up on all four legs and walked closer to Naruto.

"Easy, just stand still and clear your mind. Should be quite simple for you." he added cheekily, a strange smile dancing on his vulpine lips before his face took on a sad expression.

"We won't be able to communicate like we used to," he began, his tone strangely solemn. "The only way you'll be able to contact me is through deep meditation though it is possible that we could establish some form of constant communication in a few years. But don't get your hopes up though."

Naruto seemed to deflate slightly but his cheery mood overcame such thoughts quickly.

"Doesn't matter," he said, kneeling down and placing a hand on Kurama's head, only to have it swatted away quickly causing him to chuckle. "I'll know you're there and that's all that matter to me."

Naruto stood up and walked a few paces away from Kurama before turning and spreading his arms out wide, exposing his bare chest.

"Come on then, let's do it Kurama!" he called out, causing his friend to smile widely and break out into a run. Kurama closed the distance between them quickly and when he was no more than two or three meters from Naruto, he leapt.

Golden wisps or energy flared across his form mid-flight, his body quickly turning from short red fur to pure golden light, his form illuminating the early morning with a warm radiance.

Iroh could feel the life energy pouring from the soaring Fox as it now seemed to be flying rather than leaping towards its intended target.

The moment Kurama's fingertips brushed against the bare skin of Naruto's chest, the fate of the two beings was sealed.

The golden spirit's body was absorbed into Naruto's, Kurama forever disappearing into his friend to merge his spirit with the child who had freed him of his hatred.

Kurama was quickly gone from view, the merging taking only the briefest of moments. Naruto's feet dug into the ground as he was pushed backwards some five metre by Kurama's impact, his feet digging small trenches in the soft dirt. Iroh saw the boy double over in what looked like pain, holding his stomach with both arms tightly.

Iroh wanted to help but knew there was nothing he could do; he had to let the process run its course. Naruto through his head back quickly, his arms flying to his sides, and let loose a loud roar of pain.

Iroh could only watch in morbid fascination as nine distinct black markings began to sear themselves into the flesh of Naruto's chest, forming a half circle from shoulder to shoulder.

For a brief instant Naruto seemed to radiate the same golden glow that Kurama had displayed only moments before. His body began to flicker between golden luminescence and normal teenager.

Seconds later, his body exploded with light. Iroh was forced to throw his hands up to shield his eyes from the brightness. A long moment passed before Iroh was able to open his eyes again, what he saw filled his old heart with awe.

Where Naruto had once stood there was now a figure wreathed in golden fire, wisps of the ethereal energy billowing softly from his arms and hair. Strange lined markings had snaked their way over his body, expanding on the tattoos gifted to him by his original merging with Kurama.

When Naruto slowly opened his eyes Iroh was able to see that they were no longer the eyes one might expect to find on a man, but black, animalistic slits resting upon the bright gold that had replaced the whites of Naruto's eyes.

Naruto brought his hand up to his face and clenched his fist as a small experiment before a huge grin broke out on his face. He threw his head back, arms at his sides, and spun around as a loud _whoop _of enjoyment was thrown from his lungs.

"This feels amazing!" he called out as his piercing eyes found Iroh's. "I can feel _everything_, the trees, the wind, the Spirits all around us and the energy saturating the air. I can feel it all."

Suddenly he thrust his arm outward, punching at the air and a stream of bright orange flame was loosed into the air.

Naruto's face showed his excitement at his newfound ability. Instinctively he thrust an open palm in the opposite direction in a gracefully fluid motion and a powerful gust of air blew across the open grass plains surrounding Iroh's home.

Naruto raised his hands and stared at them intently for a moment before looking over at Iroh.

"This power, it's dangerous, very dangerous." he said before he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His golden form disappeared in the blink of an eye, replaced with his original self, the nine marks now seared into his skin looked red-raw and painful.

He slowly made his way over to stand directly in front of Iroh before he pressed a fist into an open palm whilst bowing low.

"Please teach me how to control It." he asked graciously. Though Iroh had only known Naruto for close to half a day, he was certain he had never felt so proud since the day his nephew Zuko had stumbled into his tent before Sozin's comet.

He mirrored Naruto's action before placing a hand on the young man's shoulder.

"It would be my honour."

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><p>Naruto spent six full months training in Firebending with Iroh in the Spirit World. As disappointed as he was that he would have to wait to begin mastering Airbending, he was glad to have a teacher as wise as Iroh. During his stay he befriended many of the spirits that called the area around Iroh's tea-shop home.<p>

His newly dubbed 'Spirit Mode' was another story however. After more than a few failed attempts to re-enter the powerful state, Naruto had decided that it could wait.

The power he wielded in that form almost frightened him and he wanted to master his newfound abilities before attempting to control the force of nature that he became when entering Spirit Mode.

Naruto had only received one small communication from Kurama since their merging, knowledge of how he would be able to leave the Spirit World despite the portals being sealed. From what Kurama had been able to communicate, it would be a one-time deal.

If he ever wanted to enter the Spirit World again it would have to be via meditation and even then only his spiritual self would cross over.

Since his old clothes had been annihilated when he first entered the Spirit World, Naruto had managed to scrounge together a new outfit from what Iroh had laying around his house.

He now wore a slightly tattered orange robe with elbow length sleeves and a tight brown wrapping around his waist. His forearms were covered in bandages with only the tips of his fingers being visible. He had found a plain pair of brown trousers and managed to make himself a pair of tight, form-fitting grey boots, _(AN: Google Avatar Wan, the older version with a small beard, just take away the red scarf.)_

Naruto had tried his hardest to re-create his subconscious ability to fly but found it fruitless. Iroh had mentioned that an ancient Airbending master was supposed to have discovered the secret of flight but all information on the man would only be found in the Material World, much the same as a living Airbending master for Naruto to learn from.

The day of his departure had arrived far too quickly for Naruto's liking but he knew deep down that it was time to leave and continue his training.

Naruto stepped out of the building he had called home for the past six months to see Iroh seated at his Tea-Table surrounded by a multitude of Spirits, many he had come to know by name such as May-Jim.

They had all come to say goodbye to one of the only Humans to truly appreciate Spirits.

On the table beside Iroh sat a raggedy old shoulder-bag that seemed full to bursting with different items.

Iroh felt great pride as he watched Naruto walk towards his _little _tea-party. He had trained the boy well in the art of Firebending, as well as teaching him all he could of the world he would soon be living in.

Naruto had taken to Firebending like a prodigy despite his natural element being Air. His movements were graceful much the same as Iroh's and not aggressive as many Firebender's tended to be.

Despite his rigorous training regime, Iroh had not taught Naruto _all _he knew of Firebending, there were some secrets to the art that were not his to teach, though he was certain that he would learn them in time.

Naruto stopped in-front of Iroh and gave a slight bow before embracing the elderly man in a tight hug.

"Thank you for all you've taught me Iroh. If you hadn't found me that day I don't know what would've happened to me." he said whilst smirking.

"Think nothing of it my boy, you are welcome here anytime, I hope you know that." said Iroh, gesturing to the many Spirits surrounding them. "Your friends here will miss you as well I'm afraid." he chuckled.

Iroh turned and grabbed the old bag from the table behind him.

"Now, before you go I have a few parting gifts for you." he said as he reached into the bag, pulling out a well-worn map, its edges chipped and browned.

Iroh carefully unfurled the map, showing it to be a very detailed map of the world. Laying it down on the table he motioned Naruto to come closer.

"This will be your first destination," he said, indicating a small island north of what Naruto now knew to be the Fire Nation mainland. "I ask that you be very respectful when you visit this place, the people there have much to teach you about Firebending." Naruto nodded sagely.

"Sure, I can do that." he assured his teacher. Iroh reached back into the bag, this time removing an envelope and small round object.

"After you've visited the island, make your way to the Southern Water Tribe, which is where the White Lotus is training the new Avatar. Present this at the gate," he said as he handed Naruto the White Lotus Pai Sho tile. "Then ask to see the Grand Lotus and give him this." Iroh explained before handing Naruto the envelope.

"That should allow you to join the Order if you still wish to." said Iroh, earning a vigorous nod from his newest student.

"You bet. From everything you've told me of the Order, it sounds like the perfect place for me. Plus I'll get to meet the Avatar, sounds like someone who would be a good sparring partner." said Naruto excitedly.

Iroh chuckled at Naruto's eagerness, knowing that he had been waiting for the day he would get to explore the Material World for many weeks.

Though he was sad to see the young man go, Iroh knew that Naruto's place was no in the Spirit World, he had a greater calling and if he helped him achieve that then he would be more than content.

"Well then," he said, re-packing Naruto's small bag and taking him by the shoulder, guiding him to an open area away from the Tea-Table. "I think it's time you were off Naruto, you have things to do and places to be. Ah to be young again." Once again Naruto gave a gracious bow before sending all of the Spirits a long wave.

"I'll see you guys again soon, that's a promise of a lifetime!" he called out.

Naruto sat down cross legged in a meditative position and prepared himself for the journey to the material world. He looked up into Iroh's face one last time.

"Thank you, Iroh. Truly." he said before closing his eyes and allowing Kurama's spiritual energy to well up inside of him.

_Goodbye Spirit World, _he thought, _I'll be back._

And in a flash, he was gone.

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><p><strong>Please Review<strong>

**~Raptor**


	2. Chapter 2

**I'd like to start this off by giving a big thanks to everyone who took the time to read the opening chapter for my new story. An even bigger thanks goes out to all those who took a few minutes to write up a review for the story as well.**

**Seeing as though all of the reviews I received were positive in nature I tried to get this chapter out as quickly as possible. I'll say this now that there are probably grammatical or spelling errors in this chapter somewhere but I really wanted to post this up quickly. If anyone would like to put their name forward who is willing to act as a Beta for this story it would be much appreciated.**

**PLEASE READ THIS LITTLE BIT: For those of you who have watched A:TLA you will definitely notice notice the large similarities between the show and a very important section of this chapter. Please know that I'm not trying to copy the show or anything of the sort, I just feel that the scene from the show is far too epic for me to change it much. :END**

**So, with all of that out of the way please enjoy this chapter of A Guiding Flame. As always, if there is anything you find wrong or of about this, feel free to let me know in a review or PM.**

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><p>The sensation of falling was not one Naruto was fond of. He didn't know what to expect from his transportation from the Spirit World to the Material World but falling from well over three hundred metres in the air towards the ocean was not something he wanted at all.<p>

Six months ago, Naruto knew for a fact that he would be screaming his head off in his current situation, but it wasn't six months ago and Naruto was not the same person he was back then.

He quickly adjusted his body weight to stop himself tumbling out of control and thrust both fists downwards at his side. Two bright jets of flame burst into existence illuminating the night sky. His rapid descent was slowed almost immediately.

To slow himself to a more manageable speed, Naruto willed matching flames to ignite from his feet which gave him much more control of his movement.

On the edge of the horizon Naruto could make out the vague outline of a landmass though it was much too far away from his to glide there even with his Fire-Rockets. Though he was no fond of the idea, Naruto knew he would have to swim most of the way.

He only hoped he would be spared from any encounters with one of the outlandish animals Iroh had described to him in his studies.

Naruto quickly decided that when he found a teacher for Airbending he would dedicate his time to finding out how he had managed to fly in his sleep, if only to save himself from annoying situations like the one he now found himself in.

The sea came up to meet him far sooner than he would have liked, catching Naruto in its icy embrace. Naruto was well aware of the chance of hypothermia but during his training Iroh had stressed the necessity of proper breathing exercises.

He had said it was often the one thing that would keep a Firebender from death in extreme circumstances. Naruto was confident in his ability to keep his body warm even under such chilly conditions.

The swim itself only took Naruto a little over ten minutes, his athletic body allowing him to make good time in the water despite the weight of his clothe, form fitting though they were.

He was glad to make the shallows safely and began the trek up the pristine beach towards the tree line. He decided he would wait until daybreak to explore the island and set about making a small fire pit on the edge of the tropical forest ahead of him.

He sat cross-legged in the sand and began to exude as much heat from his body as was safe. The water soaking his clothes soon turned to steam and drifted away lazily in the cool night breeze.

Naruto stripped down to the waist, his body sweat soaked from his muggy clothes, and was about try and get some measure of sleep when he felt it.

It was like a whisper on the air, the feeling tugging at the edges of his senses teasingly like it had a mind of its own. If Naruto had to guess he would say it was almost as if it was calling to him, pleading him to find its source.

Naruto wasn't sure exactly what possessed him to listen, but he did. He left his clothes and bag by his fire to dry, confident that they would be safe from thieves, and made his way into the forest in search of whatever was calling to him.

The jungle was thick and Naruto found it hard-going but he persevered and he was soon rewarded. Suddenly and without warning the jungle around him simply vanished, ending so suddenly and with such precision that it startled him somewhat.

Dirt gave way to aged yellow stone and looking ahead of him, Naruto was awestruck with what he saw. Stretching out for as far as he could see was what appeared to be an ancient city, now fallen to ruin but still strangely intact for the most part.

Naruto stood at what he guessed was the beginning of a main thoroughfare which lead towards the centre of the ruined city, to a massive stone structure, it's topped capped with gold that shone brightly under the full moon high above.

Naruto could practically feel the spiritual energy the soaked the air around him and he instantly knew that he was on the right track.

Following the thoroughfare Naruto was lead deeper and deeper into the city, all the while admiring the strange architecture that surrounded him. His carefree attitude almost proved fatal.

Naruto was staring at the summit of the large structure ahead of him, he felt certain he could make out a faint light from its peak. He almost didn't hear the soft _'click' _from underneath his foot.

His instincts kicked in not a second too late, launching him into the air mere moments before a large circular blade erupted from the wall beside him at waist height.

Another appeared in the space Naruto occupied in the air and he was forced to employ a rapid burst of fire from his palms, sending him towards the ground rapidly.

Naruto quickly laid himself down flat as the first blade made a second pass overhead before disappearing into the wall that it first emerged from, its higher sibling following suit.

Naruto cursed himself for his lack of awareness as he climbed back to his feet though the Shinobi in him had nothing but praise for whoever designed the trap itself. It must have been centuries, maybe even millennia old and still it was working in perfect condition.

Naruto vowed to pay less attention to the buildings around him and more to making sure he reached the central structure alive.

It was another ten minutes before Naruto was faced with a daunting flight of incredibly steep steps. A small groan escaped his tired lips before he began his ascent. The central structure was _much _taller than he had first anticipated; the ground was beginning to disappear below him.

After what seemed like an eternity of climbing, the stairs soon brought Naruto to a large flat area a third of the way up the structure with separate stair cases on either end of an enormous Mural that looped upwards, leading towards what Naruto assumed was the peak of the structure.

The mural itself gave Naruto pause for a long moment. It depicted a strangely dressed man wreathed in a ring of fire that was being spewed forth from the mouths of two Dragons, mirroring the others position so as to be looking up towards the man himself.

There was also a multitude of other symbols dotted over the mural but most were far to faded from Naruto to make any sense of them. The only words he could make out were _"Sun Warriors" _and the sudden realisation almost took Naruto's breath away.

Iroh had taught him much about the Sun Warriors. How they were the first humans to master the art of Firebending by learning it directly from the first _True _Firebending masters, the Dragons themselves.

Through some unbelievable stroke of luck Naruto had been deposited onto the very island Iroh had wanted him to seek out, he just knew it.

Naruto quickly deduced that the mural depicted some form of ceremony in which the sacred knowledge of fire was passed from Dragon to Man. As fascinating as the mural was, Naruto knew that he would have to go higher.

When he was finally able to tear his gaze away from the mural he began his climb anew, aiming for whatever lay at the structures peak. The climb upwards from the mural was a much quicker one, and when Naruto reached the top of the stairs he was confronted with a rather intimidating sight.

Directly in front of him stood a strange column of marked stone, at its top a marvellous red jewel was embedded in what appeared to be some form of ceremonial stone figurehead.

Ahead was one of the largest doors Naruto had ever seen, what more it seemed to be made entirely of gold. It too sported a matching jewel above its circular form.

Behind the box shaped structure ahead of him Naruto could now plainly see a steep, narrow staircase that lead up to a small temple which formed the peak of the massive stone structure.

Whilst it's golden capped peak was still clearly visible it was the bright orange glow of what could only be a large fire that drew Naruto's attention.

Carved into the ground between the column and the golden door was what Naruto could only assume to be a celestial calendar, the distinct markings giving it away.

Using knowledge Iroh had imparted to him, Naruto surmised that the two jewels were supposed to work in conjunction with each other and the calendar he now stood on.

Naruto could remember mentioning that a similar device was employed in the temple of a past Avatar, only allowing entrance to the inner chamber during a Solstice.

Whilst Naruto truly had no idea when the next Solstice was scheduled to occur, he knew without a doubt that he wasn't going to sit around and wait for it.

He deftly picked his way up the stone column, easily finding the hand-holds necessary to help him reach what would be the sun facing side of the jewel.

Hoping his plan would work, Naruto placed his open palm inches away from the surface of the jewel and attempted to produce the brightest flame he could muster.

It seemed to work as Naruto noticed a pale red circle of light dancing across the far wall though it was metres away from the opposite jewel and far too dim. Naruto carefully adjusted the angle of the light until it was resting upon the jewel above the golden door.

In a brilliant flash of red light Naruto forced the flame in his palm to burn brighter and brighter, sweat beading on his furrowed brow from the exertion.

Seconds later he was rewarded for his efforts. The jewel above the golden door glowed brightly and the ground itself began to tremble as the massive door divided into two halves and parted to allow Naruto entrance into whatever chamber the Sun Warriors had gone through so much effort to protect.

He dropped from the column, bracing himself for the long drop, dusted himself off and made towards the open doorway, eager to see what lay inside.

The chamber itself was not on the grand scale as the rest of the architecture surrounding it but it was not less impressive. It was a relatively small circular chamber, moonlight filtered down from a metal grate in the ceiling illuminating a matching set of imposing statues that formed a ring around room.

The statues themselves caught Naruto's attention. They seemed to be demonstrating the positions of some form of ancient Sun Warrior Firebending form though it was not one that appeared even remotely familiar to him.

Upon closer inspection Naruto noticed a series of indented plates in the floor in front of each statue and a small plaque that simply said _"The Dancing Dragon". _

Taking a gamble, Naruto stood before the first of the statues and imitated the position, balancing on one foot with his arms outstretched at shoulder height, his palms facing upwards.

He could feel himself sink slightly into the floor and looked down to notice he was right, the small plates in the floor that followed the statues were meant to be activated by following the positions of the statues.

Naruto smiled and continued to move himself into the various positions of the Dancing Dragon style, arcing towards the back end of the room.

When he finished the movements Naruto could honestly say that he expected something mildly excited to happen. He was disappointed to learn that whatever mechanism the floor plates activated seemingly needed a second person moving in tandem with the first to work properly.

More than a little let down, Naruto gave the statues one last glance before making his way out of the chamber. Remembering the staircase that led up to the small temple which seemingly housed a lit flame, Naruto made his was around the statue chamber and began to ascend the final staircase to the structures peak.

When Naruto reached the top of the stairs and set foot into the ancient Sun Warrior temple he was almost left breathless.

The temple itself was open to the elements with only a single wall towards the far end of the sudden plateau. Large stone columns supported the immense weight of the roof high above his head. The far wall was also decorated by various artworks, mostly depicting dragons and what Naruto now assumed to be Sun Warriors.

All of the Sun Warriors shown on the wall seemed to be bowing to what stole Naruto's attention. An alcove, twice as tall as Naruto, was the centrepiece for the far wall. A huge, magnificent flame burned brightly from within casting a warm light across the floor of the temple.

Naruto felt at once that the fire before him was not one made by man, it was ancient, incredibly so. The flame itself seemed to exude Spiritual Energy and Naruto guessed it was the fire that was saturating the air in the ruined city with a strange sense of warmth.

Despite himself, Naruto yawned loudly, his recent exertions finally taking their toll on his consciousness. He couldn't think of a better place to sleep than directly before the fire. Naruto sat cross-legged in a meditative position, his palms pressing against each other in front of his chest.

Iroh had taught him many meditative techniques, one of which was the ability to enter a trance like state, allowing his body to rest and recuperate but still allow his spiritual self to remain active. Naruto had found that he was quite proficient in projecting his spiritual body which would allow him to explore the rest of the city whilst his body 'slept'.

He felt his body go numb before the strange sense of weightlessness hit him and he was suddenly looking down on his own body. No matter how many times he performed the act it still freaked him out a little.

'Naruto' descended the stairs he had only moments ago finished climbing, he was eager to explore at least a small portion of the city by daybreak though he knew he only had a few hours at best.

The sun was high in the sky when Naruto felt the tug rising from the pit of his stomach. It was close to mid-day and he felt certain that something was wrong. While he was no more than a hundred metres or less from the top of the stone structure Naruto was forced to cancel his spirit walk prematurely, blasting his spiritual self back into his physical body.

Forcing an end to the technique always made him feel queasy but he was glad he had done it. His eyes shot awake in an instant, his stiff body cracking upwards to attention in the blink of an eye. A strangled gasp escaped his lips before Naruto was on the defensive.

While his spirit was away his body had been surrounded by a large group of strangely dressed men and women, some who brandished rather intimidating spears whilst others casually held a small flame in their palm.

It took Naruto's mind a moment to recognise his would-be captors.

"Y-you're the Sun Warriors." he exclaimed breathlessly, a grin creeping onto his face. "This is awesome."

The group surrounding him parted to allow a slim elderly man pass, heading towards Naruto. He was dressed differently than the other Sun Warriors. Where their outfits were minimalist consisting of only pants and a top for the women, he wore a ceremonial robe of deep orange.

A strange head-dress sat atop his head that appeared to be made of some kind of feathers. He also wore a large gold plate necklace that covered his neck completely.

He hobbled along rather slowly with the assistance of a staff topped with a golden flame cut-out. As he drew closer he studied Naruto with a critical eye, looking him up and down and gave a small _tutt _of annoyance.

"I am Ham Ghao, chief of the Sun Warrior tribe. You will tell me what you are doing here in our city or you will be punished, severely." came the wispy voice of the elderly chief. Naruto didn't want to have to resort to violence, even to protect himself, but he knew that his best chance was to be respectful.

Naruto face the man head on and bowed low to show his respect.

"My apologies, I had not thought to meet anyone. I wasn't aware that I was intruding, I am sorry." he said and it seemed to lessen the glare he was receiving from the Chief, somewhat.

"I was told to seek out this island, to learn from its inhabitants, but I never expected to find the remnants of the Sun Warrior civilisation still alive. I have come only to learn and nothing more." he explained. The Chief's brow shot upwards at his statement.

"You were sent here? By whom?" he asked warily.

"Iroh, the Dragon of the West, he sent Me." announced Naruto earning more than a few whispers from the group around him.

"Do not take me for a fool boy; Iroh has been dead for decades." spat Ham Ghao and Naruto shook his head.

"His body is dead yes, but he lives on in the Spirit World. He trained me in the modern art of Firebending and I think he sent me here in hopes that you would teach me the _True _way of fire." he explained.

"Please, teach me." pleaded Naruto and the old chief's face softened somewhat before he let out a long sigh.

"So be it." he said. "It is not my place to decide whether you are worthy." The chief moved passed Naruto, the group of Sun Warriors shifting so as to be behind Naruto and closer to the stairs. Ham Ghao stopped in front of the large fire and turned to face Naruto.

"If you wish to learn the ways of the sun, you must learn them from the Masters Ran and Shaw." began the Chief as if reading from some ancient script.

"When you present yourself to them they will examine you, they will read your heart, your soul and your ancestry. If they deem you worthy then you will gain the knowledge you seek, but if they don't, you'll be destroyed on the spot." he said and Naruto was starting to have second thoughts but quickly pushed them down. He had come too far to back out now; besides, Iroh wouldn't have sent him to the Sun Warriors if he didn't believe Naruto would be able to pass whatever test they gave him, at least that was what he told himself.

Ham Ghao gestured behind him to the beautiful flame that burned brightly behind him.

"If you are still set on the Masters killing you, then you must bring them a piece of the Eternal Flame." he began. "This fire is the first one to burn in all of history. It was gifted to man by the Dragons thousands of years ago; we have maintained our vigil and kept it burning since it was first breathed into existence." Naruto was awestruck by the significance of what he was being told.

_The first fire ever! _He thought, _That's so cool. _

"You will have to take a piece of it to the Masters to show your commitment to the sacred art of Firebending." said Ham Ghao before he turned to face the fire, his frail hands extending out gracefully and pulled at the air close to the flame.

A thin stream of the Eternal Flame broke off from the whole into his hands, forming a small ring of fire. Despite his age Ham Ghoa moved his body with such fluidity that it surprised Naruto, his movements reshaping the fire into a ball of flame no bigger than his closed fist.

The Sun Warrior chief extended his hand out towards Naruto, offering him the flame, who bowed before taking the proffered fire in his palm. Instantly Naruto felt the difference. The flame he held in his hand was calm, it almost felt alive.

His usual Firebending was what Iroh had taught him, power given form, but this was so different that it almost felt like Bending another element all together. Why hadn't Iroh taught him this?

"This is not just some useless show," said Ham Ghao, "This ritual demonstrates the key ideals of Sun Warrior philosophy. You must maintain a constant heat; the flame will go out if you make it too small. Make it too big, and you might lose control." he explained.

Ham Ghao raised his arm, directing Naruto's gaze out to the edges of the city and towards a massive mountain, its peak split into two distinct shapes.

"You must take the flame up there. The Masters reside in that mountain. It is there that you will present them with your fire." he said and Naruto was barely able to stop a groan from escaping his lips. He had had enough with climbing for a while.

Despite his reservations, Naruto bowed once again, careful to keep tight control over the fragile flame resting in his palm and began the long trek to The Masters.

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><p>The sun was close to set when Naruto found himself in a narrow chasm, the walls of the mountain beginning to close in around him. Throughout his climb up the mountain Naruto had been deep in thought.<p>

His mind had wandered back to Iroh's teachings, that Fire was power, the energy of his own body harnessed as a tool of attack or defence.

Naruto knew Iroh was a peaceful soul and he also knew that Iroh had never abused the power of Firebending when he was alive, but that was always how he had explained it to him, power.

Iroh had been reluctant about going into any further detail about the nature and inner workings of the art, always changing the subject.

Naruto could very well understand the man's teachings. When he used his Firebending he always felt a great rush of energy, a scorching power blasting its way through his body. The fire he now held in his hands threw all of what he knew of Firebending into disarray.

The flame flickering above his palms did not feel like pure power, Naruto couldn't feel its destructive potential. It felt like life, like creation itself. It radiated peace and not hints of violence.

There wasn't a doubt in Naruto's mind that Iroh had withheld some intimate knowledge from him, though from all he had encountered in the past twenty-four hours, he had a fairly good idea as to why.

Naruto was broken from his thoughts when the mountain suddenly opened up, the setting sun blazing bright on the horizon. Taking a few steps forward Naruto now found himself in an immense circular area, a huge mural of a stylised sun emblazoned onto the cut stone floor.

The twin peaks of the mountain stood before him, the distance between them bridged by a long stone walkway, its halfway point marked by a steep set of stairs that ascended to a square platform. Naruto noticed two large cave mouths in the mountainside where the walkways met natural stone.

The Sun Warrior tribe had formed a wide ring around the edges of the circular area; some were kneeling before ancient looking leather drums whilst most were standing at evenly placed intervals.

Naruto saw Ham Ghao, flanked by two Sun Warrior one of which was bearing a huge hollowed horn over his shoulder, at the base of the stairs and moved to meet him. The Chief moved forward as well, stopping in the exact centre of the circular area and waited for Naruto to approach him.

"This place is amazing." muttered Naruto as he drew nearer to Ham Ghao. It seemed his words were heard because the Chief's features developed a small smirk.

"This place is one of the most sacred areas on this island, second only to the shrine of the Eternal Flame." he said as he gestured up the stairs. "This is where you will face the judgement of the Masters Ran and Shaw." he explained before turning back to face Naruto, his face incredibly serious.

"You have come this far without complaint outsider, I feel obligated to warn you that facing the Masters could be incredibly dangerous for you, we will not look down on you if you decide to back out now." he said muttering _"Probably." _as an almost silent afterword.

"I can't back out now. I've never given up once in my life, I'm not about to start now. There is so much I want to learn from Ran and Shaw. This fire is unlike anything I've ever felt before," said Naruto as he gestured to the fire he held in front of himself. "I want to know its secrets."

Ham Ghao nodded slightly at his words and motioned for Naruto to hold out his hands. When he did as instructed the Chief deftly thrust both hands into the flame Naruto held and quickly pulled from it two individual balls of flame before handing each off two a Sun Warrior who in turn gifted it to another that formed the circle around the area.

When the first Sun Warrior of the outer circle received the flame it was quickly converted into a spinning ring sustained by two outstretched arms. The rings of fire gradually spread around the circle as the Sun Warriors divided the fire up between themselves and it was not long until the entirety of the area was ringed in fire.

Naruto drew in a single sustained breath before looking straight into Ham Ghao's eyes.

"I'm ready, please bring out the masters." he said and the Chief gave a small nod.

"Chanters!" his tired lungs screamed out. All around him the Sun Warriors that were sitting by their drums suddenly exploded into motion, beating their fists against them to create a rapid tribal tattoo.

Naruto soon found himself beginning his climb up the daunting steps, from the corners of his eyes he could see many women of the group bowing profusely as if in reverence to some god and it struck Naruto as odd. He was only about to meet two Firebending Masters, he was beginning to wonder why there was so much pomp and ceremony.

Halfway up the stairs Naruto _nearly_ stopped dead in his tracks. He could feel…._something_ deep below him, some presence that he could not attain the identity of. Whatever it was, it felt ancient, incredibly so. Through sheer force of will he made himself continue climbing. His confidence in his abilities soon returning, whatever it was he was about to face, _it_ would be facing him head on.

When Naruto finally reached the top of the stairs and stepped onto the platform the chanting and drum beats below suddenly dying out completely. A heavily amplified voice exploded into the air and when Naruto looked down he noticed that it was the man who had been carrying the massive horn.

"He who seeks to meet the Masters Ran and Shaw will now present his fire."

Naruto's head darted from side to side quickly, staring into each cave mouth but he faced only darkness from within. An idea quickly became known in his mind and Naruto made his best effort to mimic Ham Ghao's actions from only moments ago. Turning gracefully on the spot Naruto separated his single flame into two, holding one above each palm.

He extended his arms outwards, one hand facing each cave, and bowed his head slightly, ready for whatever he was about to face.

"Sound the Call!" shouted Ham Ghao, his voice reaching Naruto as clear as day. There was a slight pause before Naruto head what he could only guess was the sound of an immense signalling horn, the low drawn out note piercing the strange calm that had settled upon him.

For a moment nothing happened, and then the earth came to life around him. The two mountain peaks shook fiercely, large pieces of rock dislodging and tumbling down the sheer cliff face to the ocean below.

The momentary feeling of fear almost caused Naruto's fire to extinguish itself but he held firm. The shaking of the mountain intensified for a brief moment and Naruto was awestruck when an enormous blue dragon burst from the cave to his right, soon followed by yet another dragon from the left, this one a rusty-red colour.

The awesome creatures began circling the platform diagonally in perfect tandem. Naruto could have sworn that he saw the dragons look directly at him. Though he could not see it, down below the entirety of the Sun Warrior tribe was now prone on the floor in a sign of respect to the beautiful creatures now soaring overhead.

Naruto could only stare at the dragons circling him for the first few moments, part of his mind too awestruck after realising that these Dragon must be the first to teach man the art of Firebending, before he noticed something odd, they weren't just flying along a designated route.

There was a strange familiarity in their movements. Naruto smiled when he finally noticed that the dragons themselves were performing the Dragon Dance.

Naruto hadn't even noticed that his two flames had completely disappeared when he began to follow the movements of the Dragon Dance. As he moved through the stances he immediately noticed that the Dragon's actions now mirrored his in their own way. Naruto was filled with a feeling of immense joy and peace, the graceful steps of the dance calming him.

Time seemed to slow, dragging on for what felt like an eternity. Despite the complexity of the aerial manoeuvres the dragon were performing Naruto noticed that their eyes never left him, studying him with their ageless wisdom. It was an entirely humbling and at the same time terrifying thought.

Naruto almost didn't notice that he had actually completed the Dragon Dance; his mind had seemed to wander towards the end, thoughts of the Dragons and strangely the feeling of the Eternal Flame mixed together with little coherence.

Now the Dragon were hovering mere metres above the walkway connecting their two caves, one either side of Naruto, they were both staring intently at Naruto.

Both sported terrifying looks of rage on their scaly visages. The seconds continued to drag one, vicious snarls escaping from the fanged maws of Ran and Shaw.

Without warning their dropped from the air and fell tail first before they latched onto the side of the large staircase so that they were looking upon Naruto from below, the perfect synchronicity of their actions impossible to miss.

Their heads reared back for a brief moment and a terrible feeling formed in Naruto's gut, they were going to burn him alive!

His assumptions were somewhat correct.

Ran and Shaw thrust their heads upwards, their mouths opening wide and revealing a dull orange glow quickly making its way up their throats before fire began to spew forth.

On reflex Naruto closed his eyes and brought his arms up to protect his face. When he felt no searing pain he opened his eyes inquisitively and was struck motionless at what he bore witness to.

A vortex of rainbow coloured flame swirled around him and up into the sky, the flame accented with bright yellows, deep purples and vibrant greens.

There was a message hidden in the beauty of the flame, something that spoke to Naruto in such a way that he felt he had been blind all of his life and only now could he truly see.

'_Fire isn't just power and destruction; it's also life and creation, harmony.' _he thought. The pure spiritual energy that the flames exuded was almost suffocating to Naruto's senses. Without truly understanding the significance of his actions, Naruto reached out with his own Spiritual Energy, his own life force, and connected himself with that of the Rainbow Fire.

Some subconscious and more than likely irrational part of his mind fell into an old, but practiced routine, and began to draw the energy into himself.

It was too late when Naruto realised what he was doing.

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><p>From his bowing position Ham Ghao stared up with a small smirk on his lips at the outsider. The Masters had in fact deemed him worthy, much to his own surprise. He had not witnessed the sight of the Master's Rainbow Flames for many decades, not since Avatar Aang and Fire Lord Zuko had come seeking the truths of Firebending.<p>

Though he had only witnessed one true ceremony he knew something was wrong. Ran and Shaw had ceased producing their brilliant flame and yet still the vortex of multi-coloured flame remained in the air, wreathing the outsider in its warmth. The Masters themselves remained on their perch, staring intently where the Outsider would have been standing.

Many moments of awed silence passed before the top of the vortex began to unravel, seemingly drawn into its centre. The process continued rapidly and soon Ham Ghao could see the source of the strange events and gasped out loud despite himself.

Where the Outsider had once stood, ready to be judged, there was now a being of golden radiance. The Rainbow Flames were being absorbed through the beings arms and what Ham Ghao could only assume would be its mouth and eyes. The vortex was reduced to wispy funnels of flame that quickly disappeared into the golden figure.

When the last of the flames were gone the Outsider, for the figure could be no one else, staggered for a brief moment before dropping to his knees, the golden light that suffused his body disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Ran and Shaw remained in place for a moment longer before taking to the sky and once again disappearing into their mountain home. With the ritual done the Sun Warriors stood up as one, all of them confused and awed in equal measure. Murmurings soon broke out amongst the group and Ham Ghao was forced to call for silence.

The Outsider was coming down the stairs.

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><p>When Naruto regained any true sense of self, he found himself on his knees with one hell of a headache. On some level he partially understood what had happened.<p>

The familiar feeling of the Spiritual Energy given off by the Rainbow Flames felt so much like Nature Chakra that some part of him acted on impulse and began absorbing the present energy.

Groggily Naruto regained his footing and looked down below, noticing that Ran and Shaw were both absent, most likely already having returned into the mountain. He also noticed that the Sun Warriors had all gathered below at the base of the stairs.

Deciding that he had accomplished his goal, Naruto began his shaky journey down the stairs, silently praying his tired legs didn't give out under him and send him tumbling downwards looking like a fool.

Ham Ghao seemed to have dispersed the majority of the Sun Warriors by the time Naruto reached the bottom.

"That was amazing! The flames, it was like they spoke to me, my Firebending feels so much more…..complete now." said Naruto as he sported a massive grin. His carefree manner seemed to put Ham Ghao somewhat at ease.

"I would hope so. The Masters deemed you worthy and through their fire, showed you visions of what Firebending truly is." said the Chief and Naruto nodded in response.

"Yes, it isn't just power, it's life and energy. I now know why Iroh didn't teach me this himself; he knew it was something I had to be taught first hand, by Ran and Shaw." he said before he stepped to the side of Ham Ghao and performed a movement of the Dragon Dance.

Naruto nearly fell over in shock. From his outstretched hand shot a constant stream of rainbow fire, identical to that of Ran and Shaw. Ham Ghao seemed similarly taken aback, his staff clattering to the stone floor loudly.

"H-how did you do that? No human has ever produced the fire of The Masters." he said, his shock evident in his tone.

Naruto could only stare at his hands when he spoke.

"I-I don't really know, it just feels _natural, _I'm not even trying to replicate their fire, I'm just producing it naturally." he said, still trying to process things himself.

"It must have something to do with what happened to you up there." said Ham Ghao and Naruto suddenly had a vague idea as to what had happened.

"Did I start glowing?" he asked simply. He only received a confused nod from the Sun Warrior chief.

"Kurama must have triggered Spirit Mode when I accidentally started absorbing Ran and Shaw's Spiritual Energy. I'm guessing that he found a way to mix mine with theirs, turning my fire Rainbow as a result." he explained though he himself was a confused with the specifics.

"Who is Kurama?" asked Ham Ghao, a look of confusion plastered across his face.

"Oh, Kurama is the Spirit that merged with me back in the Spirit World. When I gather or expel enough Spiritual Energy I can enter what I call Spirit Mode. That's what you saw me do; my body is coated in golden fire for as long as my Spirit Mode is active." said Naruto, only causing Ham Ghao even more confusion.

"You know what?" he said as he covered his face with a hand, "I'm not even going to ask."

Naruto scratched the back of his head a smiled in embarrassment.

A moment of silence passed between them before Ham Ghao called out to a Sun Warrior behind him. Naruto saw that the man that came forward was carrying everything that Naruto had left at the beach the night before. The Sun Warrior stopped before Naruto, bowed, and handed Naruto his possessions.

"Ah, thanks I guess. Saves me the trouble of going back to get them I suppose." he said as he dressed himself.

"It is time for you to leave." said Ham Ghao. "My people have prepared a small boat as well as supplies for you to take with you. I noticed your map you carried had both our island and the Southern Water Tribe circled; I assume you were going to be making your way there after you finished here?" he asked.

"Yes, Iroh asked me to come here first before I headed South. Thank you for the boat, I kind of got here by falling so I didn't want to have to swim all of the way there." said Naruto as he laughed. Ham Ghao only gave him a blank stare, not even bothering to ask him what he meant.

"Before you leave here you must make me one simple promise." he said.

"Anything!" was Naruto's immediate response.

"You must never tell anyone about us or the Masters. Make up some stupid lie about the colour of your Firebending." said Ham Ghao. Naruto could both understand and respect the chief's desire for privacy; their culture was one that survived only on their anonymity. Naruto pressed a fist to his palm and bowed.

"You have my word Ham Ghao, I won't tell anyone, that's a promise of a lifetime!" he said whilst grinning.

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><p>Naruto spent more than a few days sailing down the coast of the Fire Nation before he found a large port town. He was glad for the supplies provided by the Sun Warriors, the various dried meats sating his considerable appetite. Considering he hadn't eaten any 'real' food for six months it tasted amazing.<p>

Naruto pulled into port early in the morning, tying his boat up at a small dock before making his way into the town proper. Out in the harbour were more than a few large ships, a few of which looking a lot like merchant vessels and Naruto hoped that at least one of them was heading to the Southern Water Tribe.

He passed by many food stalls, the majority of which were selling all kinds of exotic looking seafood, before he found what he hoped was the Harbour Master's office. When he entered, Naruto was confronted by a small elderly man sitting behind a large desk littered with various articles of paperwork.

The man looked up at Naruto's entrance and eyed him quizzically, obviously not expecting visitors it seemed.

"What can I do for you son? I'm a little busy." he said.

"I'm sorry to bother you sir but I'm hoping you could tell me if there are any ships headed for the Southern Water Tribe any time soon." asked Naruto in a pleading tone.

The man stared at Naruto for a short moment before studying a small notebook on his desk.

"You're in luck, there's one heading out in a few hours, a Varrick Industries ship." he said. Naruto sighed in happiness; he _Really_ didn't want to be stuck here for a week or two just waiting on a ship.

"Ok, thanks old man. How do I know which ship it is?" he asked, causing the old man to _huff._

"It's the fancy looking white and blue ship at the end of the harbour, you can't miss It." he said.

Naruto found the ship easy enough. Just as the Harbour Master had said it was fairly easy to find. Seeing as he didn't have any money to his name he was forced to sneak aboard where he found a rather secluded spot in the cargo hold inside some sort of wheeled machine.

It was a few hours before the ship rumbled to life and began to move and make for open sea. Naruto didn't know how long it would take to reach the Southern Water Tribe but he hoped it was only a few days at most; he didn't have much dried meat left.

As it turned out, the trip South only took three days, most of which Naruto spent in meditation to consume as little energy as possible. Naruto waited by the loading ramp until the door itself was only a half metre open before he slipped out into possibly the coldest weather he had ever experienced.

All around him was ice; even the buildings that he could see were all formed from the stuff. He quickly decided that it would be best for him to get as much distance from the ship he had sowed away on as soon as possible.

Naruto made his way through the city, searching for any sign of the White Lotus, when something caught his eye. Through an open door, Naruto could see into what he assumed was what amounted to a bar in the Southern Water Tribe. His attention though was drawn more to a single patron that he caught a glimpse of.

In a far corner of the building Naruto could see an elderly man wearing blue and white robes sitting at a Pai Sho table and calmly sipping from a cup of tea. Naruto quickly made his way inside and his suspicions were confirmed. The old man wore a thick white collar, its edges marked with a white lotus flower.

Naruto sat at the table across from the old man, causing his brow to raise a little.

"Now what can I do for you young man?" he asked curiously. Naruto didn't answer, his hands dug through his small bag until he found what he was looking for.

Casually, he placed the White Lotus tile that Iroh had gifted him in the centre of the table causing the old man to choke a little on his tea, though he quickly regained his composure.

"I see you favour the White Lotus gambit my boy, there aren't many who still follow the ancient ways." he said before he cupped his hands together, palms raised, and bowed to Naruto who repeated the gesture.

"Those who do can always find a friend." he said, mirroring the words Iroh had taught him months ago, secretly hoping he wasn't screwing something up in the process. The old man nodded softly.

"Then let us play." he said before placing another tile down on the table. Naruto began matching pace with him, each of them placing another tile down after the other. In moments the board was complete, the placed tiles resembling a large lotus flower with the White Lotus tile in the centre. He Old man looked up and smiled.

"Welcome brother," he began. "The White Lotus opens wide to those who know her secrets."

Naruto laughed nervously.

"Well I'm not really a member so to speak, but I want to be. The person who taught me this little game asked me to speak directly to the Grand Lotus; he was the one who told me that I would be able to find him here in the South Pole." he explained.

"I see, that is most…..unusual." said the Old Man, seemingly deep in thought. "I suppose there would be no harm in you meeting him; after all, you do know one of our orders ancient customs. I have one condition though." he said. Naruto could barely contain his excitement; he had hoped that his forwardness wouldn't dissuade the man.

"Name it." he said eagerly and the Old Man smiled in response.

"You'll have to have your head covered, so you can't see where we are going, the location itself is considered somewhat secretive." he explained.

"Fine by me," said Naruto. "When can we leave?" he asked. The Old Man smirked.

"Right now." was his answer. Naruto made to stand before a black bag was thrown over his head from behind.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading everyone! Remember to leave a review; they are really what motivates me to get the next chapter done faster. The more substance in the review the more motivation I get out of it.<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry about the slightly longer wait on this Chapter guys, I had more than a few things happen in the last week and a bit that has kept me from getting this last filler chapter out of the way.**

**That's right; the next chapter I post up will be the start of Book 1, finally. **

**Firstly I'd like to apologise right now to those who may be upset with the size of this chapter, but I really just wanted to get the filer out of the way so I could get into the meat of the story. In the end I decided to cut Naruto's full meeting with the Grand Lotus, it just didn't seem necessary to the plot so that shortened the Chapter by close enough to 800 words. **

**Secondly, I'd like to thank everyone who has taken the time to write up a Review for this story, it really keep me going when I know that there are plenty of people who are really enjoying this story. That being said, I have noticed a strong number of similarities in a number of the reviews, relating mostly to the pairing. Quite a number of people would really like me to pair Asami along with Naruto/Korra. **

**I'm going to say now that whilst I'm not **_**entirely **_**opposed to the idea, I'm not sure if it will happen despite popular request. I only say this because I don't know if I'd feel comfortable writing it, I myself find it very hard to read most fics that feature multi-pairings, don't even get me started on Harems, **_**uggh. **_**I'm not saying that it 100% won't happen but I am saying please don't be upset if it doesn't.**

**Now, with all that out of the way, please enjoy the last of the filler Chapters. **

**A small AN will be posted at the bottom regarding this chapter, please give it a read.**

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><p>Whilst the uncomfortable feeling of being deprived of sight was not one Naruto enjoyed, it was one he was willing to put up with if only for a short while.<p>

From what he could tell there were at least three other men, along with the old man accompanying him. He wasn't quite sure where he was.

He had been led from the bar with the black bag over his head, completely unaware of where the White Lotus members were taking him. He had heard the sound of metal on metal before he was hoisted up into something and down onto a rather uncomfortable metal seat.

Steel doors closed behind him and whatever machine he found himself in rumbled to life with a great shaking roar before it rumbled off into parts unknown.

He had been at least an hour into his silent journey before someone began asking Naruto questions. He immediately recognised the voice as the old man he had confronted in the bar.

"Who sent you to us?" he asked simply. "Who taught you the old ways of the White Lotus?"

Naruto was unsure of how he should answer. Iroh had made it very clear that only the Grand Lotus should know of his continued existence. He would have to fabricate some sort of lie.

"I come from a small village in the Fire Nation," he began, "I used to help out this old man with his fishing business, he was getting to old to do all of the heavy lifting himself and I needed the money. One day a group of roaming bandits made their way into town, demanding any money or resources the people had.

We were too small a village to have any sort of guard or garrison, we'd never had any trouble in the past you see. A few years earlier a group of soldier made their way through the town, they saw that I was a Firebender and the captain didn't think it was right to just let me be without any sort of training. After they left I began to train myself, building on what the soldiers had taught me.

So when I saw all of those bandits just taking whatever they wanted from those weaker than them I just couldn't stand it. I managed to scare them off and afterwards the old man said that he admired how brave I had been, that he had something to show me.

He eventually told me how he used to be a member of the White Lotus, back in the days before Avatar Aang, and that I had displayed the courage and selflessness required of the order. At the time I didn't think much of it, just some old man recounting his glory days, but he kept teaching me more and more of what you guy's represented and I knew I had to join.

The day he died, the old man said that I should seek out someone called the Grand Lotus; he said he was pretty much your leader. I figured that the Grand Lotus would be wherever the Avatar was being trained but no one I asked had any idea where that was. I knew that the new Avatar was a Waterbender so I came here first hoping to meet someone from the White Lotus and well, I found you." said Naruto, finishing his lie.

The old man was silent for a moment, seemingly considering the young man's words.

"That was very astute of you; the Grand Lotus is indeed assisting in the training of Avatar Korra. You may have travelled a long way but it was not in vain." he said finally.

"Korra? So that's the Avatar's name?" asked Naruto excitedly. Ever since Iroh had explained to him just what the Avatar was Naruto had been dying to meet them.

"Yes, she is currently attempting to master Firebending but I believe it will be more than a few months before she has anything in the way of mastery over the element." answered the old man.

"Great, I can't wait to meet her." said Naruto. "Maybe I can give her a few pointers; I am the best Firebender in the world after all." he said confidently, puffing his chest out as he crossed his arms over his chest, though to be honest he wasn't sure how stupid the gesture looked with a bag over his head.

Naruto heard the old man laugh warmly.

"I'm sure you are my boy. You might just get the chance, we're almost there." he said and Naruto could feel someone reach for the bag over his head.

"Close your eyes kid," he heard a man's voice say. "It's pretty bright." he said, giving Naruto a moment before pulling off the bag. The man had been right; it was incredibly bright without the bag. Naruto quickly regained his vision and he saw why.

For as far as he could see was a great expanse of white, the snow drifts seeming to never end. The sun was high in the sky and its fierce light reflected off of the icy ground. Naruto at his immediate surrounding and noticed that he was inside what he assumed was some form of snow transport.

The cramped back cabin housed himself along with the old man as well as another White Lotus member how wore what looked more like armour than the robes the old man sported. The other two men he had felt were seated in the front cabin of the machine.

Naruto looked out of the front window and saw their obvious destination. A large wall, seemingly made entirely of ice, sprouted from the endless expanse of snow. The only noticeable feature of the wall itself was the intricately carved gatehouse that was rapidly getting larger in his vision.

"This is our Training Outpost," said the old man. "We have been training Avatar Korra here since we discovered her as a child." The gates now loomed over them, opening slowly on old hinges. Naruto was impressed with what he saw inside the compound.

A large sparring arena dominated the centre of the compound with a sizable viewing platform affording teachers the chance to watch their students fight up close. There were few buildings within the compound, numbering far less than ten. A single structure caught Naruto's eye.

It wasn't grandly designed and it certainly wasn't large but it was homely. The building itself sat in a secluded corner of the compound, far out of the way of usual attention. It seemed that it was to be their destination, the Snow-Rider bringing them ever closer.

Before long they were parked in front of the small house and the old man was ushering Naruto from the vehicle. He pointed towards the front door which lay atop a small set of worn wooden stairs.

"The Grand Lotus is inside, he will meet with your but please see this for what it is, a great honour, there are very few outside the Order who have ever met the Grand Lotus. Treat him with respect and he will do the same to you." he explained simply and Naruto nodded.

After triple checking that he did in fact still have Iroh's letter with him, Naruto made his way up the creaking stairs carefully and knocked on the door gingerly as if afraid too much force would cause the entire structure to tumble. An aged voice was his only reply.

"Enter." it said. Naruto let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, opened the door and entered a new world.

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><p>Naruto's meeting with the Grand Lotus had been brief, if a little chaotic. Naruto had not said a word to being with, he had simply dropped Iroh's letter before the rather polite elderly man that sat before him and waited.<p>

He had expected his story to be ridiculed and mocked but the Grand Lotus had remained fairly calm as he read the letter. Afterwards he had asked Naruto a series of rapid and pointed questions.

Thankfully Iroh had neglected to mention that Naruto had come from an entirely different world, a small mercy he was grateful for as he had decided early on that it was best to never tell anyone of his true place of origin.

In little under ten minutes Naruto was out the door and on his way to what he had been informed would be his new accommodations, a small wooden hut that jutted out from the glacial drift that served as the rear wall of the compound.

It was far more than he needed, Naruto intended to spend the majority of his time training and honing his skills, though the small but soft bed and shower were welcome.

Naruto and Iroh had both decided that it would be better if no one knew of his ability to Dual-Bend until he found an Airbending Master to teach him, though that hadn't stopped him training his mastery of wind in secret.

The White Lotus sentry that escorted him to his lodgings had informed him that a uniform would be brought to him in the morning; his duties were to being the very next day. Though the knowledge that his 'vacation' time had come to an abrupt end, Naruto was more excited than ever.

The Grand Lotus had quickly decided upon his position within the Order. Due to his age and what Iroh had labelled as 'likeableness', Naruto would act as Avatar Korra's personal guard and training partner.

Apparently the girl had been complaining of late as to the lack of younger company and from what Naruto could tell, the Grand Lotus was happy to finally shut her up.

Naruto had been itching to meet the Avatar, now he would get to train with her, Firebending training to boot. Though he was certain that he was far above the average when it came to Firebending, Iroh had quickly taught him that there was always something more to learn.

He also hopped that he would finally be able to start work on his own Firebending form. After his encounter with Ran and Shaw, Naruto had been inspired, wanting to merge what Iroh had taught him with the Dragon Dance as well as some of the moves Gai and Lee had taught him back in the Ninja World.

He was more than confident that the finished form would be brutal, graceful and beautiful, all at the same time.

Sighing, Naruto moved to lie down on his new bed, knowing that such thoughts would more than likely have to be postponed for some time. His new duties to the White Lotus would have to come first.

Despite the extreme temperatures outside, his hut was rather warm and he was more than a little glad for it, Naruto Uzumaki was not a fan of cold weather.

Sleep came quickly for him, his mind wearing itself out with raging thought of what the new day might bring.

Naruto woke early in the morning, well before sunrise. He was immensely grateful to have an actual bed under him; his lodgings inside the cargo ship had been less than ideal. Despite the early hour a standard White Lotus uniform rested on a hook just inside his door, when it had been delivered Naruto couldn't say.

After a very quick meal of rather tasty porridge and honey he decided on an early morning training session. Donning only the pants and boots of his new uniform before grabbing a thin shirt, Naruto braced himself and threw open the door, a gust of chilling wind his immediate companion.

Pushing through the cold Naruto made his way to the centre of the compound towards the training ground he had spotted the day before. He was no stranger to training in extreme or dangerous conditions but it had been month's since he had experienced cold such as this.

He saw more than a few sentries give him a strange glance before they went on their way. Before long he had reached his destination. Taking his shirt off slowly, careful to keep his body moving slowly so as to avoid any adverse effects from the cold, he sat in a cross-legged position in the centre of the open area.

Naruto began his breathing exercises, designed to help him regulate body temperature, they would enable him to perform the rigours of physical training despite the cold without the dangers of cold based injuries.

Naruto knew that the style that he planned to create would require many weeks or even months of strenuous exercise to give him both the flexibility and bodily strength he would require.

The sun was beginning to rise over the compounds gate when Naruto finally finished the second stage of his exercises, stretching. He quickly found that his regular breathing techniques were far more effective than they had ever been and he could only guess that it was a result of his 'training' with Ran and Shaw.

He also found that the techniques taught to him by the Toad Sages of Mt. Myoboku were also very effective for warm-up exercises.

When he felt his body was ready he began to flow through the opening movements of his basic Firebending form, finding solace in the basics. He knew that the formation of an entirely new form wouldn't be someone that would happen overnight, he would have to work day-in-day-out.

Naruto smiled as he felt the heat within his own body surging through him, ready to be given form. Though he had felt the same way countless times in the last six months, it never ceased to amaze him.

"_Bending is awesome." _he thought with a smile on his face.

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><p>As far as Korra was concerned, today was just any other day, boring and for the most part, uneventful. Her daily routine rarely ever changed.<p>

She would get up and dressed, feed Naga and then for the rest of the day the White Lotus would effectively baby-sit the Avatar in training, spoon-feeding her new bending knowledge in hope of _'keeping her safe'_.

Despite this, Korra would be the first to admit that her training could be fun at times. Especially when they would pit her against some of the newer White Lotus members, the feeling of utterly destroying them with her obvious skill was one she didn't think she would ever get used to.

She had only begun he Firebending training a little over nine months ago, having finally convinced the old coots that oversaw her training that she had effectively mastered both Waterbending and Earthbending.

She knew that her trainers usually preferred her to arrive at least close to the allotted time so she was forced to leave Naga in her den sooner than she would have liked. It was then that she noticed something was different.

Usually she could spot two or three sentries along her usual route to the training ground, today though they were nowhere in sight. Up ahead she could make out the shapes of people running in the direction of the training ground.

Knowing something was definitely happening, she too broke into a run to see what the commotion was about, eager for something to bring even a little bit of surprise to her somewhat dull life.

She was not disappointed.

There was a considerable crowd at the training ground, each person jockeying for position at the front. Though she couldn't make out the source, Korra could easily say what she could see was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen in her relatively short life.

Great gouts of exotic fire burst into existence at rapid intervals, the vibrancy of the colours shocking some who saw them. Striking reds, bright yellows, vibrant greens, deep blues and beautiful purples and countless other colours Korra had never seen before all coalesced together to form one brilliant source of flame.

She knew that she had to see just who it was that was controlling the flames so she rather ungracefully began to shove he way to the front, earning more than a few angry glances that immediately withered as people noticed who it was that was bumping them around.

It only took her a moment to make it to the front and she was more than a little surprised by what she saw.

In the centre of the training ground was a teenager who looked no older than herself. She could make out his strange bright blonde hair as he flew through a series of intricate movements that Korra had never seen before.

He was neglecting to use his hands almost entirely, instead using them to support himself as he spun his legs rapidly, bolts of rainbow fire blasting outwards from his feet with ferocious speed. He followed his spin with an overhead flip, bringing his right leg around for a complete revolution before landing upright.

His movements came to an abrupt halt after one final move. His upper body pivoted sideways, completely independent of his legs which he brought up moments later for a diagonal rotation with his right leg extended.

When his foot came into contact with the ground it began to slide and for a horrible moment Korra thought the boy had misplaced himself and was about to fall. Nothing bad came of it however, as his foot slid across the smooth floor of the training ground a wave of rainbow flame blossomed from his heel and spread across the ground.

He came to a resting position with his body almost hugged the ground, his left leg was supporting his weight under him whilst his right was outstretched completely, his right hand extended in a fist resting just above the corresponding foot.

It was then that the applause erupted around Korra, the level of noise entirely out of place in the White Lotus compound. Instead of joining in, Korra found herself bounding across the open ground towards the teen.

Only now did she noticed that he was in fact completely stripped from the waist up, sweat beading on his toned chest as his body tried to come down from its recent high. Despite herself, Korra found herself blushing slightly and trying her best to avert her gaze as well as regain her composure.

He seemed to hear her approach, looking up and meeting her eyes. They were the bluest eyes she had ever seen, her gaze was also drawn momentarily to the strange marks the he sported on each check, almost like whiskers.

"That was totally amazing!" she shouted, still somewhat in awe of what she had seen only moments before. "You've gotta' teach me how to do that Rainbow Fire trick." she said.

The boy only scratched the back on his head in embarrassment, a huge grin on his face.

"Sorry about that," he chuckled, "I guess I got a little carried away there. I didn't mean to cause such a fuss, I only wanted to get a little training in before everyone woke up." he said cheerfully.

"Oh and the whole Rainbow Fire thing," he added as an afterthought, "it's not something I can teach, as far as I know I'm the only one who can do it. Something unique about my Chi, at least that's what the White Lotus say." he explained.

To say Korra was disappointed was an understatement; she couldn't imagine how cool she would look throwing around Rainbow Fire.

"Damn," she said, voicing her opinion, "that would have been so cool to learn. Never mind that now though, what are you doing here if you don't mind me asking. The White Lotus doesn't really let a lot of people my age around here, they say it would just distract me from my Avatar training." she said as she crossed her arms and pouted slightly.

Korra could see a flash of recognition pass through the boy's eyes momentarily.

"You're Korra?" he asked, receiving a small nod, "Awesome, I've been looking forward to meet you for a while now." he said. Korra watched as he extended his fist out towards her, a smile on his face the whole time.

"The name's Naruto Uzumaki, and I'll be your training partner from now on."

Korra quickly matched his smile with one of her own and smacked her own fist into his. It seemed today wasn't entirely uneventful after all. Finally it seemed she'd have some decent company to hang around with.

Neither noticed the aged woman standing in the shaded area of the training ground, a motherly smile adorning her face.

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><p><span><strong>AN:<strong>** That chapter length will be back up to 6-8K for the next chapter, don't worry this small chapter is not a new trend for me. Also in regards to Naruto's new style that he is trying to create, I fear my descriptions won't paint a very clear picture of it, please just Google "Tricking" or go on Youtube, that is what I envision for Naruto. I'm better with Story than I am with Fight-Scenes.**

**Thanks for reading, if you're hitting the Follow or Favourite button for the first time it'd mean a lot if you could also take the time to write up a review as well. **

**Cheers,**

**~Raptor**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry for the long wait on this chapter everyone, work has been pretty chaotic for me in the last 2 weeks though it shouldn't be a problem any longer. **

**I want to thank everyone who went out of their way to review my last chapter and I only ask that you do the same with this one!**

**Now, while you are reading this chapter, if there is anything that has been changed from the Cannon please just roll with it.**

**It should be known right now that I'm not all that good with all of the lovey-dovey stuff when it comes to writing. If you feel I'm moving things to quickly or they make little sense, PLEASE tell me.**

**Now, on with the chapter! And remember, please leave a review detailing what you liked or didn't like about the chapter after you've taken the time to read it.**

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><p>The night sky suddenly exploded with light. Crackling energy contrails vaporising the air molecules that surrounded them, their deaths signified by a misty haze of dull orange luminescence.<p>

The cloud cover above the frozen tundra had long since been burned away, allowing the light of the full moon to illuminate a wide circle of ice, in the centre stood Naruto.

Despite the extreme temperatures sweat glistened over his exposed body. He was only wearing a plain pair of navy-blue pants and white-fur trimmed winter boots. His right arm was extended upwards to the night sky, his fist clenched save for his index and middle finger.

He had been at it since sundown, testing his endurance. Over the past three months he had been pushing his body to its limits, reaching and far surpassing his old physical peak.

Compared to his usual training, Lightning Generation was incredibly taxing, the energy and concentration required to perform the art safely was immense.

Granted it was getting easier by the day. During the day he was more than happy to train his Firebending to its fullest but his skill with Lightning was something he preferred to do alone.

It often proved difficult to leave the compound at night to practice, Korra had seen to that. Two weeks after he began his nightly training sessions the girl had somehow noticed his habitual absence and had taken it upon herself to attempt tailing him.

From then on it became a game of cat-and-mouse between the two, one attempting to escape whilst the other sought to stop or join them.

Tonight had been one such night and though it didn't happen very often, Korra had managed to corner him moments before he made to scale the compound wall. Much the same as always she near enough demanded that he take her with her, wherever it was he was going.

Naruto smiled at the thought. He and Korra had become quick friends, much to the ire of the White Lotus sentries. She had been an easy convert to the way of pranking. Managing to turn the entirety of the bath house water supply to an icy cold deluge was one of Naruto's personal favourites.

It was clear the Korra thoroughly enjoyed the company of someone her own age, much the same as Naruto did.

Tonight Naruto had relented. At the edge of the light circle stood Korra, bundled up in her thick winter jumper, a wide smile on her face.

"That's so cool!" she exclaimed as she rushed towards him. "Is that what you've been sneaking off every night to do?" she asked causing Naruto to chuckle softly.

"Yeah, I've been trying to get the technique down for a while now. It's just too dangerous to be shooting off lightning around the compound when I'm not exactly a master of it yet." he said.

"Looks pretty good to me." she said, her hands linked behind her back. "So…"

"So what?" asked Naruto as he leaned down to retrieve his coat from the cold ground.

"How about you show me how it's done." said Korra. Naruto pulled his top over his head before looking her in the eyes for a short moment.

"Nah." he said nonchalantly before turning away and walking back in the direction of the compound. Korra spluttered in indignation before running off after him.

"What? Why not?" she said as she pouted slightly, a manoeuvre that usually succeeded in making Naruto fold. Naruto couldn't keep a straight face any longer and burst out laughing.

"Of course I'll teach you," he said causing a wide smile to break out on Korra's face, "Just not now." he finished and Korra almost fell face first into the snow.

"Aw come on! When?" she asked.

"When you can finally beat me in a spar." he said simply, baiting Korra. He knew she was more than a little upset that she'd never been able to successfully defeat him in a spar since he started training with her. He was simply too fast and agile for her to land a solid hit.

Naruto took a glance out of the corner of his eye, smirking as he noticed the childish pout of anger on Korra's face. He almost laughed; she just made it too easy.

"Besides," he started, "I doubt you're a good enough Firebender to do it in the first place." he was rewarded almost immediately as he saw her face turn sour.

"Come on, I'm the Avatar, of course I can do It." she almost shouted at him.

Naruto smirked, _'Just one more push.' _he thought.

"Ah let me guess," he said as he moved himself into a dramatic pose, his legs spread wide and one first raised high into the air. "You're the Avatar and I've gotta' deal with it!" he shouted loudly, remembering one of the funnier stories Senna had told him of Korra's childhood.

Naruto didn't even attempt to dodge the veritable avalanche of snow that Korra covered him with.

"I should have never let you talk to my mother." she said, her face a bright red. "I was four, besides, it's not even that funny." said Korra as she folded her arms and looked away from Naruto who was only now climbing out of the snow piled on top of him.

"Come on, it _was _a little funny." said Naruto. A moment passed before Korra turned to look back at Naruto and his ear-to-ear grin. Her stoicism lasted only a brief few seconds before she burst out laughing followed closely by Naruto.

Their laughter abated after a few moments and though he didn't want the night to end just yet he also knew that they had to be getting back.

"Let's go," he said, "We'd best be back in our beds before the Sun rises, you know how angry Master Jin gets if we're not on time." Korra only nodded and fell in beside him.

Before long the distinct shape of the compound walls came into view. A thought took hold in his mind, one that had been itching to release itself for the past few weeks. Korra had, for all intents and purposes, become Naruto's best friend in the past three months; she deserved at least a little honesty from him.

"Before we head inside there's something I want to show you." he said earning a confused nod from Korra. She had known him long enough to know when he was at least trying to act with some measure of seriousness, now was one such time.

Naruto lead her up and behind the compound itself, up on to the ice drift that made up the rear wall of the White Lotus base. He site on the edge, his legs dangling in free air, and gestured for her to do the same.

"I can trust you right Korra?" asked Naruto after a few moments of silence.

"Of course," said Korra, "You should know that much by now. I've got your back." Naruto sighed softly.

"Well then, I have a rather important secret to tell you." he said. "All I ask is that you don't tell _anyone_ about what I'm about to tell you."

Korra began to feel more than a little worried. She had known Naruto for close to three months. She had trained with him, ate with him and gotten into plenty of trouble with him but she had never once seen him act so serious.

"I promise Naruto, you can tell me anything you know that." she said reassuringly. Naruto enjoyed the moment of silence a little longer before finally breaking the silence.

"I'm a Firebender." he said, not making eye contact with her. Korra wanted nothing more than to hit him, as hard as she could. Some part of her knew that it was all some stupid joke meant to scare her.

"I know that you idiot. You had me worried there for a second, acting all serious." she said, punching his should half-heartedly. Naruto didn't even flinch, still not looking at her. He took a deep breath before standing up, Korra's eyes following him the entire time.

"And an Airbender." he finished.

"Wait, what?" was the very eloquent response from Korra before Naruto stepped forward and over the edge of the four story drop to the compound below. Her mind screamed at her to move, to help him, but she was too late. He was already out of her reach.

A terrifyingly slow moment passed before she saw it. Visible air currents flowed around Naruto's waist and legs, slowing his descent considerably. Korra didn't know what to think.

All her life she had been taught that only her, only the Avatar, could be more than a single element. Yet here was Naruto, her new blonde Firebending friend, doing what she thought impossible.

He was Airbending. She was ashamed to admit that some small part of her was more than a little angry at him, not just because he hadn't told her earlier, but because he could do what she couldn't.

She had tried and tried to produce some small measure of Airbending to no avail and here Naruto was making it look easy yet again.

When she returned her attention to Naruto she noticed that he had already reached the ground safely. He was looking back up at her, his face sad and apologetic. He stared up at her for a short moment longer before quickly making his way back to his own house and away from Korra's sight.

* * *

><p>The next morning had been met with more than a few audible outbursts directed solely at Naruto. Most that saw the two arguing teens looked on with bewilderment, though a select few of the younger members of the White Lotus sniggered amongst themselves at the scene.<p>

The morning's early training drills were particularly harsh for Naruto. Fuelled by her emotions, Korra's attacks were much stronger than usual and Naruto hard pressed to avoid injury.

Korra had kept her word though, something Naruto was extremely grateful for. No one else had been informed of Naruto's unique situation.

At the end of the day, in an attempt to make amends with Korra, Naruto offered to 'try' and tutor her in everything he knew of Airbending, little as it was. It seemed to work. Korra's scowl eventually made its way back to a smile.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but I hope you can understand that it isn't something I was looking forward to telling _anyone._ If people knew what I could do…" he said, leaving his point open to interpretation.

"There a people that would hunt me down, just for my ability." he continued, not giving Korra a chance to speak. "That's why I joined the White Lotus, Political Immunity. It should help keep most of those kinds of people off my back if the World ever finds out about me.

Korra looked away slightly, refusing to look him in the eyes.

"Is that the only reason you joined?" she asked, her voice almost a whisper. For a moment Naruto didn't understand exactly what she had meant, he almost froze when her intent. He wasn't quite sure how to react at first, a brief moment of awkward silence passing between them before Naruto finally plucked up the courage to speak.

"Of course not." he said and only then did Korra look back up at him. "I wanted to meet the Avatar. I didn't know who you were or what you were like but that didn't matter to me. I achieved that goal, I didn't just find the Avatar, I found a friend." he explained, his voice trailing off slightly towards the end.

Naruto could see the beginnings of what appeared to be a blush creeping its way onto Korra's cheeks and quickly decided to defuse the situation.

"Now, enough of all this sappy talk, we'd best get some sleep. Your real training starts tomorrow. It's going to take a while to get the idea of Airbending through that thick skull of yours." he said as he laughed at Korra's mildly angry face.

Dodging a strong right hook aimed for his arm, Naruto darted away from Korra's reach and towards his hut, laughing the whole way with Korra hot on his heels.

It was then that Naruto decided, no matter what happened in the future, these were the memories that he would cherish the most.

* * *

><p>Days turned into weeks and still Korra was no closer to Airbending than she had been before Naruto had taken to training her. No matter what method he tried, his teaching wouldn't stick.<p>

Korra was all about pure physicality and it reflected in her bending style. On the other hand, Airbending focused on spirituality and balance, something Korra was not yet ready for it seemed.

She had of course been upset with herself, thinking that she was a horrible Avatar; Naruto had set her straight almost immediately.

He was no master; he only knew a handful of small tricks and was not qualified to teach anyone despite his eagerness to help Korra.

Naruto had assured her that as soon as her Firebending training was complete she would be able to go to Republic City and train with Tenzin, a true Airbending master.

He only hoped that he would be allowed to go with her. He had not told anyone else of his secret but he knew that if he was to ever master the element of Air, he would have to reveal himself to Tenzin.

Three months had passed since Korra discovered his Airbending and those three months were more than enough time for Naruto to realise something. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he was sure that he had developed feelings for Korra, something he had wanted to avoid.

Naruto had never had the best of luck with the opposite sex. His first crush had, at the time, hated him. The first girl that he had loved, he sadly had to admit that it would never come to pass. Naruto had no way to return to her and he had come to terms with that close to a year ago.

The rational part of his mind told him that his budding feelings for Korra were not something he should avoid but he also didn't want to get hurt again, twice was more than enough he thought.

The attraction wasn't hard to understand, Korra was certainly a beautiful young woman as well as kind and more than a little mischievous.

Naruto pushed the thoughts from his mind as he watched the girl in question prepare herself to face no less than three seasoned Firebenders. Over her usual attire she wore a red padded and fire-proof training outfit.

Today was the day of Korra's final Firebending test, designed to see if she was ready to finally move on to her Airbending training with Tenzin.

Naruto watched from atop the roof of the viewer's stand of the main training ground, his legs dangling over the edge. Bellow him he knew he would find many of the senior White Lotus members, the people who had assisted in Korra's Firebending training.

He knew Katara would be there as well, the kind old woman who had taken it upon herself to heal any and all of the injuries he sustained after some of his more 'taxing' training sessions.

Naruto smiled as he looked down on the three Firebenders as they circled Korra slowly.

They didn't stand a chance.

The short man that had moved behind her was the first to attack, opening with three quick jabs of fire obviously meant to put Korra of balance right from the get go. Suffice to say, it didn't work.

Korra doges the attacks with ease before bringing her left leg up and spinning on the ball of her right foot with great speed. The resulting crescent of fire took the unprepared man by surprise, the force of the attack sending him sliding off the edge of the training ground.

The remaining two Firebenders, obviously more cautious than their counterpart, chose to each send a single focused burst of flame in tandem, hoping that the combined power of their attack's would be enough.

Korra's form was engulfed in flame for a brief moment before the fire began to dissipate. Korra stood with her legs outstretched, her arms moving in a circular motion with fluid grace. It was a technique that Naruto had taught her and one that he himself had taken from watching the sun warriors.

The technique itself was designed to use and control the opponent's fire, eliminating the need to dodge or overpower the attack.

Smirking, Korra took a battle-ready pose, a confident smile plastered across her face as she stared down her attackers.

Both Firebenders took off at a run, each moving in a different direction. One man chose to attack whilst charging Korra down. His attacks were dodged easily by Korra who displayed her rather impressive agility before she advanced towards the man, meeting his charge.

At the last moment he jumped, kicking his leg forward and sending a bright arc of fire towards Korra.

She rolled under the attack and at the end of her roll she raised a leg high into the air, the heel of her boot caught her attacker's foot and sent him tumbling to the ground behind her.

The other Firebender, hoping to catch Korra unawares, attacked whilst he back was turned. Feeling the heat of the attack at the last second, Korra dodged the flames and let loose two quick but hard punches, catching the man in the stomach and sending him sprawling.

Both men recovered at nearly the same time and Korra was forced to fight a battle on two fronts. Dodging was no longer an option and she was forced to counter with blows of her own.

She slid her right foot across the ground towards the man behind her, a veritable wall of fire erupted from the ground, momentarily blinding him. Korra took full advantage of the slight reprieve.

She blocked one final strike from the man in front of her before she drew herself back and thrust both fists forward, a thick stream of flames shooting forward and striking the Firebender head on.

The attack sent him flying and Naruto was forced to duck as the man struck the roof little more than a metre above his head.

When Naruto returned his attention to the fight he saw the remaining Firebender running towards Korra, an arm held out in front of him spewing a constant torrent of flame, forming a massive fireball.

Without batting an eye Korra met the attack with a charge. Holding both arms forwards, her palms pressed together forming an arrow head, she pushed her way through the fireball with apparent ease.

Her opponent, not expecting such a rash move, was unable to react as she used his shoulder as a spring-board to launch herself up into the air.

Pivoting mid-air, Korra kicked out and broke the Firebender's guard with a quick attack before using much the same move she eliminated her second opponent with.

Her attack sent the man skidding across the training ground before he slumped to his knees, his training gear smoking and singed, before collapsing in defeat.

Korra remained composed for only a brief moment before throwing her hands into the air.

"Woo-Hoo!" she shouted at the top of her lungs before running up to stand in front of the viewer's stand. With a quick jump Naruto pushed off from the roof and landed beside her and raised a fist, a wide smile adorning his face.

Korra smiled brightly at him and bumped her own fist against his before turning her attention towards her White Lotus instructors, who in Naruto's opinion did not look too impressed. Though he did notice the warm smile on Katara's face.

"What's with all the doom and gloom people?" Korra asked as she tore her training helmet from her head, allowing her hair to fall free.

"We should be celebrating! Three elements down, one to go!" she declared confidently. Naruto was forced to roll his eyes in annoyance as he heard Korra's Firebending instruction sigh loudly.

"Once again, you're getting ahead of yourself Korra. We still haven't decided if you even passed your Firebending test yet." he said in his usual monotonous tone.

_Typical, _thought Naruto. Ever since he had joined the White Lotus and been given the task to guard and train with Korra, he had been astounded with just how much they sought to hold her back.

She was supposed to be the Avatar, but he knew in his heart that Korra would never be able to reach her full potential if they kept holding her back and basically trapped at the South Pole.

"We both know that Korra passed her test with flying colours Master Lei." announced Naruto, gaining more than a subdued glare from said Master.

"I think we all know that the only Firebender in this entire compound that Korra couldn't beat is Me." he said dramatically, beside him Korra nodding her head in agreement, not even looking at Naruto.

"Damn right Naru….Hey that's not true! I could totally beat you!" she shouted indignantly causing Naruto to laugh. A senior member of the White Lotus interrupted the pair before a fight broke out.

He had witnessed enough of the teen's arguments to know that a fight was the usual outcome after Naruto would jokingly call Korra out on the fact that he was indeed the superior when it came to the art of Firebending.

"Ever since you were young you have excelled at the physical side of Bending but completely ignored the spiritual side." he said and Naruto picked up on the kind disappointment in the man's tone.

Korra turned her attentions from Naruto and stared at the man with a blank look on her face.

"The Avatar must master both before they can be considered fully realised." finished the elderly man. Korra frowned a little.

"I haven't ignored it," she said defensively, "It just doesn't come as easily to me. That's why we-I mean I have to start training with Tenzin immediately, he's Mister Spiritual."

Naruto almost slap himself in the face. Korra her kept up her end of the bargain and hadn't told anyone about his Airebending, but she had on more than one occasion almost slipped up. She looked over at him briefly, a nervous smile on her face and Naruto could see her mouthing _"I'm Sorry."_

Naruto just smiled and shook his head.

The man sighed softly before turning to Katara.

"Do you believe she is ready Master Katara?" he asked and it was evident in his tone that he was fully expecting her to back him up.

"Yes." said Katara with finality. "If anyone will be able to teach Korra what she needs to learn, it's my son."

A brief moment passed between the White Lotus elders present as they passed brief glances between one another before nodding slightly.

"Very well Korra, it's time for you to begin your Airbending training." said the elder somewhat reluctantly. Korra jumped high into the air, throwing her headgear away in the process.

"Yes!" she shouted before enveloping Naruto in a crushing hug. "Finally!" It took Korra a brief moment to realise what she had just done. She looked up into the face of a slightly shocked Naruto and blushed as she disentangled herself from him before looking back to the elders, all of which did not appear impressed with the display.

She took a moment to compose herself before bowing respectfully.

"Uh, I mean thank you all for uh, believing in Me." she said before grabbing hold of Naruto and pulling him away.

Naruto soon found himself being pulled down a short flight of icy stairs into what he had come to call "The Den". Korra barged her way through the large wooden gate at the bottom and threw herself onto a large mass of white in the centre of the circular enclosure.

"You should have seen it Naga!" she called out and her living bed moved, a huge furry head popping up and panting loudly. Of all the strange animals Naruto had studied that inhabited the world he had been a part of for a year, Naga the Polar Bear Dog had to be one of the least strange animal amalgamations.

He'd met Naga soon after he had met Korra. It seemed that she acted as Korra's friend and pet, as well as her favoured mode of transport. In his studies with Iroh, Naruto had learned that almost all of the past Avatar's had an animal guide. Perhaps Naga was Korra's?

"I totally wiped the floor with those Firebenders and passed the test. Tenzin will be here in a few days, and then Naruto and I can finally start our Airbending training." she said as she rubbed Naga's ears affectionately.

"You did well out there today. I even saw you use more than a few of my moves." he said with a sly smile, gaining Korra's attention. She looked up at him sheepishly.

"Well you never said I couldn't." she said causing Naruto to chuckle slightly.

"Even still, everything we practice together is on a whole other level compared to what those guys were using out there. They never stood a chance." he explained calmly. A small smile cracked on Korra's face.

"I know. Did you see their faces?" she asked, chuckling the whole time. Naruto tried his best to keep a hold of his stern expression but failed miserably in the face of her laughter.

"I suppose you want to go out for a ride today?" he asked after a short moment of laughter.

"Of course," said Korra as if the answer was obvious. "I came down here to get Naga saddled up. You coming?" she asked. Naruto only had to consider it for a moment.

Whenever they left the compound Korra always seemed to brighten up. Naruto knew she didn't like it there, always being coddled and having the White Lotus dictate her life.

If he was completely honest with himself, Naruto was more than a little disappointed with the White Lotus as he found it. The way Iroh had describe the order had been amazing, an organisation whose sole purpose was to bring balance, peace and love to the world.

He had heard how Avatar Aang had wished for the White Lotus to guide and protect any Avatar's after himself. Instead, it seemed that they were content with near enough imprisoning Korra until she met whatever crazy standards they were expecting.

Naruto knew that Korra needed to leave the South Pole and see the world; much like Aang had done in his youth. There wasn't much in the way of life lessons to be had sitting around in the snow after-all.

"Wouldn't miss it," he replied, "Where did you have in mind?"

"Wherever we feel like I guess." she answered with a shrug of her shoulders as she threw a simple leather saddle over Naga's back. With a practiced hand she fastened the remaining buckles and jump up onto he furry friend.

With a smile on his face, Naruto joined her, sitting behind her with his arms resting behind him as Naga made her way carefully up and out of The Den.

Within minutes they found themselves before the compounds gate. Looking up, Naruto could see a lone White Lotus sentry posted in the gate-house.

"Come on Lao, open 'er up!" he called up loudly as he recognised the man. Despite being a member of the Order, whenever he was seen with Korra in close company people tended to be on guard for anything _"un-becoming of the Avatar" _or some such nonsense.

"We won't be going far." said Korra in an attempt to win the sentry over. After a long moment the man shrugged and turned about, disappearing from sight. Soon after the gate began to rumble open and Korra sent Naga through the gap without a seconds delay.

Naga's long stride quickly took them away from the compound. Naruto caught a glimpse of two figures standing watch on an icy outcropping some two hundred metres away. He knew even without further inspection that they were White Lotus.

They always liked to keep an eye on Korra, even when she tried to leave the compound for 'alone time' as she liked to call it.

They rode in silence for long minutes before they finally arrived at Korra's usual haunt. Only metres ahead of them the ground simply vanished, dropping many metres to the icy waters below.

For as far as the eye could see the ocean dominated the view. The large golden orb of the sun was almost set, its shinning rays bounced off of the horizon, turning the sky a dark orange.

They both dismounted Naga, finally allowing her time to rest, and Korra was soon sitting on the edge of the glacier, her legs dangling over the side lazily. Naruto joined her, sitting down beside her in much the same fashion as she had before lying down.

He looked up and studied her for a moment before scrunching his face up in confusion.

"What's wrong?" he asked, "You look happy and scared all at the same time." Korra sighed in response.

"I am happy, happy that we'll finally get to leave this place and go to Republic City with Tenzin to learn Airbending." she said, her voice strangely soft. Naruto sat up and glanced over at Korra.

"Then why are you scared?" he asked. For a short moment Korra didn't answer, she simply started off towards the horizon.

"I'm scared that I won't be able to do it, that I'll be a failure as the Avatar." she explained. Naruto had rarely ever seen Korra this upset.

"Where's all this coming from?" he asked, genuinely confused.

"You've been trying to teach me Airbending for weeks now. What if I just can't do it? I'd literally be the worst Avatar in history." she said as she drew her legs up and held her knees close to her chest.

Naruto almost laughed.

"Oh, is that all you're worried about?" he said nonchalantly. Korra's eyes darted over to look at him.

"Korra you shouldn't be worrying about any of this. I can barely Airbend myself, I'm really not the best person to try and teach you. Tenzin is the only true Airbending master in the world; I have no doubt in my mind that he'll be able to set everything straight." he explained as he placed a hand on Korra's shoulder.

"Besides," he said, "I truly believe that you have what it takes to become the greatest Avatar ever. All it'll take is some hard work." Naruto could see Korra's mood lighten almost immediately after his words. He watched as she slowly moved one of her hands and placed it over his.

She looked over a smiled at him, all bad thoughts forgotten.

"Thank you." she breathed out softly. Naruto chuckled lightly.

"Don't worry about it." he said and remained silent for a few moments longer, the two of them just staring off at the setting sun.

"Everything is going to change soon Korra. That's a promise of a lifetime."

* * *

><p>Three days passed before Naruto and Korra received word that Tenzin would be arriving soon. It was Katara who brought them the good news.<p>

Naruto had already been informed that he would be going as well, eliminating the need for him to _coerce _or sneak his way to Republic City.

The pair of them were told to be packed and ready by late afternoon and the meet Katara in the main courtyard for Tenzin's arrival.

Naruto was standing closer than usual at Korra's side when he first saw them.

Off in the distance a black dot in the sky began to take shape. Though he had never seen one before, Naruto knew that he was looking at one of the Air Nomad's famed Sky Bison, marvellous animals that despite their huge bulk could fly with apparent ease.

As she had met the man before, Korra had told Naruto what to expect from Tenzin, a serious and dull, but also kind man. Apparently he, much like his father Aang, had been the last Airbender in the world until he had three children.

As the Bison drew nearer, Naruto could hear what he could only assume was one of Tenzin's kids. He smiled warmly at the sound.

"-there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? It looks like we're here, I know because this looks _very _familiar." shouted a young girls voice.

The Bison was close enough now that Naruto could make out a handful of shapes on its back, sitting in a giant saddle. He spotted who he could only assume was Tenzin himself sitting on the great beasts head, a small clump of orange sitting on the man's head.

"Are we here yet? Are we here yet? Oooh, please tell me that we're here!" the girl continued and as the Bison landed only a few metres away from him Naruto could hear Tenzin's long and drawn out sigh.

"Yes Ikki, as I've been telling you for the last fifteen minutes, we are _finally _here." said Tenzin, his tone that of a defeated man.

Naruto noticed that the shape atop his head was moving and he soon realised, with no small amount of confusion, that it was in fact a young boy. A young boy who was….trying to _eat_ Tenzin's bald head.

As they moved closer two young girls jumped from the Bison's saddle and slid down its tail, as squeal of excitement escaping the mouth of the younger sibling as they rode on small spheres of Air.

It was Katara who moved forward to greet them first.

"Hello mother, I can't tell you how good it is to see you." said Tenzin as his three children clung to him, the boy sitting on his shoulders had begun to pull the man's big ears back and forth and Naruto almost had to cover his mouth to stop himself from laughing out loud.

"_Please…Help me." _he whispered to his mother. Katara only laughed and reached for the boy on Tenzin's shoulders.

The boy, now in her arms, shook himself violently in an attempt to escape.

"Unhand me strange woman!" he cried out, his voice layered in imagined authority, causing the old woman to laugh slightly. Once again, Tenzin sighed.

"Meelo, that's your Grandmother, don't say such things." he said as the boy freed himself from Katara's clutches and after running a full circle around her, ran back behind his father.

Katara seemed undeterred by Meelo's strange behaviour as she moved to stand before the eldest of the two girls who was smiling up at the woman with something akin to reverence.

"It's so good to finally see all of you again." said Katara.

"Gran-Gran, I've been reading all about your old adventures. I've been dying to ask you, what happened to Zuko's mother?" asked the girl innocently causing Katara's smile to widen a little.

"Well Jinora, it's an incredible tale.." she began but was almost immediately interrupted by Ikki who began jumping up and down in her Grandmother's face with a bright smile on her face.

"Gran-Gran you look old. Just how old are you? And why's it so cold in the South Pole? Can we make a campfire and all huddle around it and tell scary stories and make snowmen? And then can you make the snowmen _move _with Waterbending and chase us? Wouldn't that be fun? Huh, wouldn't it?" she started, firing off question after question and Naruto was having trouble keeping track of them all.

Katara stared down at the young girl, he face blank as she too tried to process the mass of information that had spilled from Ikki's mouth. Standing beside her, Jinora hung her head, obviously sad that she wouldn't be getting the story from Katara.

Behind them Naruto noticed a woman slowly making her was down the Bison's tail, the large swell of her stomach indicating her advanced pregnancy. It seemed Tenzin had noticed her as well as he rushed to help her.

"Here, let me help you Pema." he said as he took her arm and helped her to the ground.

"Stop dotting on me," the woman said in exasperation, "I'm not helpless, just pregnant." she said as she cradled her stomach. Katara moved to embrace the woman, laying a hand on her stomach after a short hug.

"The baby is strong," she said with no small hint of pride in her tone, "I sense another Airbender on the way. The woman's face fell immediately.

"All I want is one child like me, a nice, non-bender that doesn't blow wind in my face every five minutes." she said. Beside her Tenzin looked away, stroking his beared with a look of feigned innocence on his face.

Almost as if planned for just that moment, Meelo called out to his. He had somehow in the space of thirty seconds, completely covered himself in a thick layer of snow.

"Mommy, look! I'm a Snow-Bender!" she shouted before a nearly invisible sphere of air erupted from his form, blasting the snow that covered him in all directions.

Naruto was forced to duck to avoid being hit but the boy's mother was not so lucky. Most of her hair and face were now covered in the cold powder. Both Naruto and Korra had to restrain themselves from breaking out into laughter.

After shaking all of the snow from her head, Pema looked back to Katara.

"Where Tenzin's sibling this crazy when they were young?" she asked. Katara chuckled slightly under her breath before she answered.

"Kya and Bumi certainly were but Tenzin has always been, somewhat serious." he said, earning a deadpanned look from her son.

"Mother, please." he said quietly in annoyance. It was then that he looked over Katara's shoulder and noticed Korra and Naruto standing side by side. His mood brightened visibly.

"Korra?" he called out and she jogged forward to greet him, Naruto moving as well to keep pace.

"Look at you, so big and strong. You've grown into quite the young Avatar." he said before his eyes drifted to Naruto.

"And who is this? I don't believe we've met before young man." he said. Naruto stepped forward, holding his hand out to the man.

"Naruto Uzumaki, Master Tenzin. It's an honour to meet you." he said as Tenzin shook the offered hand, his eyes drifting over Naruto's attire and raised a brow.

"The pleasure is all mine. You certainly are a bit young for the White Lotus if you don't mind me saying. How exactly did you gain membership?" he asked. Naruto, completely unoffended, went to answer but was interrupted as Ikki slid in between himself and Tenzin.

"Ooh, I know! Are you Korra's boyfriend? I bet you are." said the little girl and Naruto almost chocked on air, Korra wasn't much better.

"Ah, no-I'm-uh.." he spluttered out, failing miserably at forming a coherent sentence due to his embarrassment. Luckily Katara came to his rescue.

"Naruto came to us almost six months ago, not long after your last visit. Since then he's been Korra's training partner, helping her master Firebending. He's quite the prodigy I must say." she said and Naruto blushed a little from her praise.

"Ah, yes. An old friend of mine used to be a member of the Order. Before he passed he told me I should join, and, well I did. As Master Katara said, I met Korra not long after that. I guess we're just close friends is all." he said, praying that Ikki wouldn't ask any more stupid questions.

"So you're a Firebender then?" Tenzin asked unnecessarily. Naruto shifted on his feet uncomfortably for a moment and he was acutely aware of Korra's eyes on him.

"Among other things, yeah." he answered. Though he had promised Korra that Tenzin would be the first person other than herself to find out about his ability to Airbend, he still hadn't planned exactly how to tell the man. It would certainly be an interesting conversation.

Korra moved forward and embraced Tenzin in a warm hug.

"Master Tenzin, I'm so glad you're finally here. I can't wait to get to Republic City and start my Airbending training." she said with a bright smile on her face. When Naruto saw Tenzin's expression change to one of guilt, he knew something was wrong. His wife looked up at him with an apologetic look on her face.

"You knew you were going to have to tell her sooner or later." she said. It didn't take Naruto long to figure out what she meant. Korra was a little slower on the uptake, her face scrunching up in confusion. Naruto stepped forward slightly.

"You're not taking Korra back to Republic City with you." he stated, leaving no room for argument. Tenzin looked at him before sighing heavily.

"I'm afraid so. We've only come to stay the night and we're leaving in the morning. I'm sorry Korra but you won't be coming back with us." he said.

"No, I'm supposed to move to Air Temple Island with you, you're supposed to teach me Airbending." said Korra, obviously upset.

Tenzin placed a hand on her shoulder to comfort her.

"I'm sorry Korra but your Airbending training will have to wait." he said sadly. Katara was wise enough to diffuse the situation before it spiralled out of control.

"We can talk more about this over dinner," she said gaining everyone's attention, "Let's go inside before it _really _starts to get cold."

Tenzin and his family moved to follow Katara but Korra remained rooted to the ground, forcing Naruto to give her arm a light shake before she fell in beside him as they made their way to the dining hall.

* * *

><p>"So how long is it going to be before I can come to Republic City and start my Airbending training? A week? A Month?" asked Korra desperately. Once again Tenzin sighed and Naruto was beginning to think that it was his default manoeuvre to dealing with situations he didn't like.<p>

Naruto sat beside Korra at the large table, various plates of food spread out across its surface. Tenzin's wife had taken the children off to bed some time ago and only a handful of people remained.

"In all likelihood, it could be much longer." he said. _At least he sounds genuinely upset, _thought Naruto. Korra's mood was declining the more she spoke with the man.

"Tenzin I don't understand. Why are you making me wait? Why can't I come back to Air Temple Island with you?" she asked desperately. Naruto chose to remain silent, content to watch the conversation play out and then act accordingly.

"I have a responsibility to Republic City Korra; I'm one of its leaders. The situation in the city is very…..unstable right now." he replied and Naruto didn't fail to notice the hesitation in his voice.

"But you also have a responsibility to Me." said Korra, her anger slowly rising. "As the Avatar I have to master all four elements. I can't do that until you teach me Airbending. I'd love to find another Airbending Master but there isn't one, you're it."

Korra leaned over and rested her head on the table.

"Can I at least leave the South Pole while I wait for you to teach me?" she asked hopefully. The White Lotus elder from her Firebending test slammed his fist into the table.

"Absolutely not! It's too dangerous for you to go wandering around before you've finished your training." he said, no small amount of anger seeping into his usually calm tone.

"I'd be with her. She wouldn't be in any danger." said Naruto, earning a grateful smile from Korra. The elder snorted.

"Forgive me child but the thought of you two gallivanting across the Four Nations doesn't encourage me in the slightest. Avatar Aang tasked us to keep you safe whilst you mastered the four elements." he said and Naruto chose that as his cue to finally get a little angry.

"No. Avatar Aang tasked us with _guiding _and _teaching _Korra, not to keep her locked up at the ass end of the world where she can't help anyone but your own antiquated sense of honour and self-aggrandisement." he said, his voice almost becoming a growl towards the end.

The elder's face flushed red with anger but Tenzin was quick to interrupt whatever outburst was coming.

"I know this must be difficult for you to accept Korra, but now is not the right time for you to come to Republic City." he said in a poor attempt to bring Korra over to his side. Needless to say, it didn't work.

"Whatever!" said Korra, giving up on the conversation and getting to her feet, stomping over to the door and slamming it behind her. A moment of heavy silence passed between the three of them before Naruto spoke.

"What's really going on in Republic City?"

* * *

><p>When Naruto failed to find Korra in the morning he only knew of one place she would have gone considering her mood last night.<p>

He set off across the snowy tundra on foot before eventually reaching the end of the glacier, _our spot _he thought.

"You're up early." he called out as he came up behind her. Korra was sitting cross-legged on Naga's back as she stared out to open sea. She made no move at the sound of his voice. Naruto had to move to stand next to her before she finally spoke.

"It's just not fair. For all my life I've been stuck down here in the South Pole and my one chance to get away is about to fly away overhead." she said bitterly and as if on cue Naruto could suddenly hear the low grunts of a Tenzin's Bison as it passed over them.

When Naruto looked over at Korra he could clearly see the determined look in her eye and he smiled.

"You know," he said, finally gaining her attention, "From what I understand, the night security for at the docks is fairly lax." he explained before turning about and pretending to start the journey back to the compound.

"Of course, I probably shouldn't be saying any of this so just forget what I said." He didn't get very far before he could feel Naga's heavy footfalls behind him and a strong arm pulled him upwards. Naruto could only laugh alongside Korra as they sped back home.

* * *

><p>That night found the pair of them sneaking around the compound, pilfering whatever supplies they could without being seen before making their way to The Den.<p>

Naruto had chosen to abandon his usual White Lotus attire in favour of something slightly less conspicuous. After he had first arrived at the compound Katara had taken it upon herself to 'mend' the clothes Iroh had given him in the Spirit World.

She had continually claimed that they were far too large for someone of Naruto's size and as a result had slimmed the outfit down considerably. From the waist down he still wore the pants and armoured boots of the White Lotus, only they had been dyed to match his other clothes.

Naga was waiting eagerly for them both and Korra was quick to place the saddle on her back. Naruto was immediately on guard when he heard the faint sound of soft boots coming down the stairs behind him. He turned quickly only to see it was Katara.

"A nice night for an escape isn't it?" she said in an amused tone and Korra nearly jumped out of her boots in fright. Katara simply stood at the base of the steps, her usual kind smile on her lips.

"We have to leave Katara. I have to find my own path as the Avatar." said Korra seemingly trying to guilt the old woman into letting her go. Naruto could already see that it was pointless, Katara's mind had been made up for a while it seemed.

"I know." she said, her smile growing even brighter. "Aang's time has passed. My brother and many of my friends are gone. It's time for your generation to take on the responsibility of keeping peace and bringing balance to the world. I think you're going to be a great Avatar." she said reassuringly.

Katara opened her arms wide and embraced Korra in a tight hug.

"Thank you." Korra muttered softly. Katara's eyes moved to glance at Naruto.

"Now, you keep Korra safe won't you Naruto?" she said, a genuine smirk on her face. Fully understanding her meaning Naruto blushed slightly, scratching the back of his head lightly before laughing.

"Please, if the world's greatest Firebender can't keep her safe, who can?" he said, trying to seem as cool as possible. Katara only smiled at the pair of them.

"Good bye, both of you."

With Naga's impressive ability to dig coupled with Korra's Waterbending, they soon made quick work of their escape. They had tunnelled from The Den until they were well outside the walls of the compound.

Korra wanted to see her parent before she left and Naruto wasn't about to stop her. Naga's rapid pace soon brought them to the outskirts of the Southern Water Tribes main city where Tonraq and Senna lived in a small but humble building.

Korra spent a few minutes talking with her parents as Naruto sat silently atop Naga before her father made his way over to him. Naruto had never felt comfortable around the man, he was so physically imposing and he always seemed to be judging him for whatever reason.

"You will keep my daughter safe." he said and Naruto immediately realised that it was a question, but a statement.

"Of course I will sir. Nothing will get in the way of that, I am her body-guard after all." he said, laughing slightly as he tried to ease the tension between the two of them.

Tonraq stared at him for a long moment before a small smile broke out on his usually stoic face.

"Good man." he said as he clasped Naruto's forearm tightly with one of his huge hands.

When Korra finally left the embrace of her mother, she was not sad as he had expected, but happy. A bright smile was plastered across her face as she led Naga down the long hill and towards the docks far below.

As Naruto had said, the security guarding the cargo ships was nothing short of abysmal, at least for people with Naruto and Korra's training. Within a few minutes Naruto had found them a secluded space in the cargo hold where they would be able to spend the three day trip in peace.

The pair of them used Naga as a bed, propping themselves up against her warm fur as the Polar-Bear Dog slept. Naruto closed his eyes as he listened to the calming sound of the beast's rhythmic breathing.

"Well, we're once step closer to finally learning Airbending and you're one step closer to becoming the greatest Avatar to ever walk the earth." he said proudly. His only response was the loud snoring of the girl lying beside him.

He opened an eye to see Korra fast asleep already. Chuckling softly, Naruto shook he head and rolled onto his side.

It would be a long trip, but the destination was well worth the wait. Despite what he had learned from Tenzin the night before Naruto knew that going to Republic City would be a turning point in Korra's life as the Avatar.

_Whoever this Amon ass-hole is he'd better stay the hell away from Korra. _Thought Naruto as he drifted off to sleep.


End file.
